Ma'Krat Zahn Has Disappeared
by Bearthsong
Summary: Ba'Kira is a Nurse-Medic who works out of the Narn Military Base in Quadrant 37, which is nicknamed Ma'Krat Zahn. She and her crew are excited to be traveling to the Human space station Babylon 5, where she hopes to find new opportunities for her business. Due to an emergency, however, Ba'Kira must return to Ma'Krat Zahn, not realizing the danger that awaits...
1. Ma'Krat Zahn

6

 _ **Ma'Krat Zahn Has Disappeared**_

 _ **(A Fan Fiction Story based on the T.V. series "Babylon 5" created by J. Michael Straczynski)**_

 _ **Chapter One: Ma'Krat Zahn**_

Ba'Kira brought her compact Medical Transport Ship into the docking bay of the Narn Military Base in Quadrant 37, referred to as " _Base 37"_ officially; and unofficially, it was nicknamed by the soldiers who ran it as _Ma'Krat Zahn_ , or "Monster Mollusk" because it looked like one of the multi-armed mollusks which inhabited Narn's oceans. It was a huge Orbital Base which circled the planetary outpost below it. It was located near the edge of Centauri space, and its function was to protect the people of Narn from the aggression of their hated enemies from Centauri Prime.

Ba'Kira never got involved with military and political games. Her only interest was in delivering medical supplies, services, and equipment to the Narn colonies, and making sure that their populations were as healthy as possible. She used _Ma'Krat Zahn_ as her base of operations because it was located in a central area with strategic access to most of the colony worlds.

As she powered down the small vessel, she gave orders to her crew members to initiate docking procedures. After they were securely docked, the ship was transitioned into "slumber-dock" mode. It needed to be ready to leave at a moment's notice if there was an attack or other emergency on one of the colony worlds. If there was no emergency, and everything was "business as usual", then Ba'Kira and her crew would leave on their next scheduled visit in about five days. In the mean time, the crew would receive a well-earned rest and a chance to see their families.

Although _Ma'Krat Zahn_ was a military base, many of the soldiers and service providers brought their families there so that they would not have to be separated from them for such a long period of time. Most of the base was used for military purposes, but there was a small section of it which was used to house the civilian populations who came to it. Although the civilian population occupied a small section in comparison to the number of military personnel, it was nonetheless large enough to house at least a couple of thousand family members and others.

Ba'Kira and her crew were amongst the "others". She was not one of the Military Medics, but rather she worked with them in a cooperative manner in order to keep the colonies properly supplied and serviced.

"Bring out the young girl!" she ordered one of her medics, "Take her to the Station's Medical Facility."

The medics obeyed immediately, transferring a little four-year-old pouchling onto a child's stretcher and carrying her out of the vessel. The child's pouch-father, an anxious young soldier who looked to Ba'Kira as though he would rather not be serving in the Narn Military, hurried along behind. The child had fallen down a make-shift hydra-well which had been installed by the colonists there. Life was especially difficult on that particular world, as the air was not breathable without the protection of a bio-dome. Ba'Kira and her crew had been brought in to rescue the child, who had fallen a considerable distance and had nearly drowned in the Narn-created water supply. They had been successful in rescuing her, but Ba'Kira knew that she would not survive without intensive medical procedures and therapy. Her legs had been badly scratched up when she had fallen and then tried to climb up the long well-pipe, and they had become badly infected. Ba'Kira knew that they would have to be amputated, and she had performed the operation on board her Medical Ship the _Ti'Quan_. In order to secure some prosthetic legs, however, the girl needed to come to Base 37.

The _Ti'Quan_ and her crew were not well equipped for rescues, but they were often called upon to do so nonetheless. The military Medics were unlikely to go to such trouble for a mere pouchling, and that was where Ba'Kira came in.

She had created her own "Medical Services & Supply" company, which sought out contracts from the military to service the civilian populations on the colony worlds. Civilian colonists were often left out of the equation because they were not "essential" to military operations. Ba'Kira had, for the past twenty years or so, done a good job convincing the Narn Military that her services _were_ essential. She and her team had saved many lives, including those of the soldiers' families.

As she walked into the busy "Civilians' Quarter", a guard took her identity card and ran it through a scanner. He gave it back to her without a word. Some of the Narns here tended to be rather taciturn; the Military seemed to cause them to withdraw into themselves. Ba'Kira was definitely not a flag-waver for the Narn Military. She found their policies aggressive and their military campaigns ethically questionable. She was, however, not in a position to challenge them. She had served her mandatory four-year term in the army on the Narn home-world and had been glad to leave at the end of it. Subsequently, she entered the University of the Healing Circle and trained to be a nurse-Medic for the Regime. In order to be given off-world experience, she had been obliged to work _with_ the Military, if not for it.

She had borrowed money as a young woman to purchase the _Ti Quan,_ had launched her business, turned it into a success against all odds, and had not looked back since. She had been making Medical runs aboard her ship all of her adult life, and she was proud of the work that she and her crew performed.

Along the way, she had mated with a young soldier whom she had also fallen in love with. He had provided her with a cherished son, and he had helped to pouch the boy before he was sent off and killed on a mission for the Narn Military.

Kar Malka, her son, was now seventeen years old and working with her as a Medical Trainee. When he had finished transporting the young girl to the " _Med-Fa'ch_ ", as the hospital was called here on the base, he returned to _"The Civilian's Cafeteria_ " to meet his mother. He sat down quietly, receiving the Blackrock tea that Ba'Kira had ordered for him. She offered him some Grok Root to eat, which he accepted gratefully.

"So," Ba'Kira said to him, "Is working with the Old Woman better than the Narn Military, or would you like to go back to whips, drills, and guns?"

Kar Malka grimaced.

"You know the answer to that one," he replied, "I'm just glad to be out of there...it was like prison! I thought the four year mandatory term would never end; but now that it has, I'm happy that I began it at age thirteen instead of fourteen. I'm out a lot earlier than some of my poor friends...plus, I get to see something of the galaxy now that I can actually go on-planet with you and the crew."

Kar Malka had grown up aboard the _Ti'Quan,_ but he had never been allowed to go down to any of the worlds that they visited. Instead, he used to stay in orbit with his Pouch-Holder and the rest of the command crew while Ba'Kira led the Medical Team on missions. When he was very young, Ba'Kira had made arrangements for him to stay with her mother, but as he grew older, she felt that it was important for him to gain experience in space; and so, she had brought him along.

When he went to the Military Academy for four years, however, she saw little of him and she had missed him greatly. It was wonderful to have him back with her once more.

"Well, Malk," she said to him with a glint in her eye, "I think you're going to like our next destination."

"Is it the Human space station?" Kar Malka asked eagerly, "The one called...Bubble-One-Five?"

" _Babylon 5_ ," Ba'Kira corrected him, "and yes, we're going there after a stop-over here. I have to deliver some medical equipment and supplies to the Human Healer there. This will be the _Ti'Quan's_ first trip to a non-Narn station, although there are plenty of Narns on _Babylon 5_."

"I've heard there are plenty of other aliens that go there, as well," Kar Malka commented excitedly, "but I wonder why the Humans allow so many of them access to their station? Aren't they afraid of alien filtration?"

"Your grandfather Ra'Mogh has been there," Ba'Kira responded to her son's questions, "He says that they _want_ all the different aliens to come to the station so that they can get to know them, and try to work out any differences peacefully. It definitely makes sense to me, as a Medic—I am in the business of _saving_ lives rather than taking them."

Kar Malka chuckled at his mother's rebellious statement.

"Careful! Don't let the Military Officers hear you say that. They're not happy unless they can go somewhere with guns blazing."

Kar Malka, like his mother and his grandfather, Captain Ra'Mogh, was covered in rusty-red spots as opposed to the black spots that peppered everybody else's heads. The eyes of those three Narns were also a fiery orange color rather than the normal red eyes of the majority of the Narn population. Like all Narns, they were hairless and had furrows which formed a triangular point just past their eyes and around the sides of their large heads. It gave them a vaguely "reptilian" look, although they were in fact marsupials whose males carried their young or "pouchlings" around in their belly-pouches.

The server arrived with their meal, and the two Narns ate hungrily.


	2. A Pouch-Holder is Needed

11

 _ **Chapter Two: A Pouch-Holder Is Needed**_

Ba'Kira sat in the hot Narn sauna. She had just finished swimming in the pool, and it was time to relax. Several other Narns had the same idea and were resting, nude and motionless, on a big rock bench. Nearby the bench was a bubbling hot bath, where a few Narns sat and savored the hot water. This swimming/sauna/bath facility was a luxury; most Narn stations did not carry them, but Base 37 was different. With nine thousand military personnel and close to two thousand civilians, the entire base housed a population of ten thousand and sometimes more. Some of Base 37's "citizens" were transient, like Ba'Kira and her crew—stopping mainly to rest, re-fuel, re-stock, and then depart on missions.

Many of the civilians, like Ba'Kira's sister Sha'Lok, were here as family members of military personnel. Sha'Lok was married to one of the Base Commanders, and she had brought along her young five-year old daughter, Ra'Jann. Ba'Kira did not really like the idea of Ra'Jann being here; space could be dangerous, no matter how many luxuries _Ma'Krat Zahn_ boasted. Unfortunately, she was not in a position to criticize Sha'Lok's choice, however, because she had raised her son Kar Malka aboard a spaceship for at least half of his life.

Sha'Lok entered the sauna, her naked skin dripping with water. She was followed by Ra'Jann. Narns did not bother wearing bathing suits when they went in the water, and so nakedness was the norm in the pool/sauna facilities. Both males and females sat on the rock bench together, thoroughly enjoying the heat.

"Ba'Kira," Sha'Lok greeted her, "I don't suppose you're here for more than a few days, are you? Ra'Jann and I would love to have you and Kar Malka come for a meal in our living quarters...why don't you come tonight?"

"I'm here for a couple more days," Ba'Kira answered her sister, "So of course I'll come over. I'll ask Kar Malka—he's been chasing after a young female medic, though, so he's difficult to track down at times."

" _I_ can track him down, Aunt Ba'Kira," Ra'Jann interjected in a confident manner, "I'll put my father's hand-cuffs on him and force him to come!"

Ba'Kira chuckled.

"I'll bet you'll be serious competition for his female, Ra'Jann!"

"I'm not serious competition!" Ra'Jann objected, "I'm just me—telling Kar Malka that he _has_ to come for dinner."

"Very well," Ba'Kira agreed, "I'm sure you'll win the battle, my niece."

The three Narns settled down on the rock bench for a nap in the sauna's artificial "sunlight".

Later that "evening" (as much as one could have "evenings" in space), Ba'Kira checked the status of her ship. All systems aboard the Ti'Quan were ready for the next mission, which would be coming up in a few days. They would be heading to _Babylon 5_ for the first time! Ba'Kira was looking forward to the visit. She was fascinated by aliens, and there were none aboard _Ma'Krat Zahn._ Every being on this Star Base was a Narn, without exception. _Well—perhaps there is one exception,_ Ba'Kira thought, and that exception was a member of her own crew. Wall'Ahb the Pak'ma'ra had been a slave of the Narn Regime until Ba'Kira negotiated her release with the help of a family friend. Wall'Ahb could not go back to her own people because they no longer considered her one of them; she had been with the Narns for too long. Since the Pak'ma'ras thought of Wall'Ahb as a Narn, so then did she; and Ba'Kira invited her into their little family aboard the _Ti'Quan._ Wall'Ahb had proved a valuable member of the crew, especially with regard to healing. She used her tentacles to stop bleeding, soothe bruises, and provide make-shift bandages, among other things. Ba'Kira felt secure putting Wall'Ahb in charge of staying with the ship to make sure that the next shipment was properly loaded and that the _Ti'Quan_ was kept safe.

With the _Ti'Quan_ safely "put to bed" under Nanny Wall'Ahb's care, Ba'Kira walked confidently down the corridor on the way to her sister's quarters. She passed various commercial stalls which had been set up to make the civilian population feel more at home. The atmosphere of the "civilian sector" was designed to help the civilians to feel better about being aboard a Military Base which was not only surrounded by the uncompromising vacuum of space, but was also very close by to the territory of their sworn enemies, the Centauris.

Somehow, the "soothing" atmosphere failed to impress Ba'Kira. She was concerned about her pouch-sister and niece being here, but she knew the decision was not up to her. She entered the residential corridor and presented her Identi-card to the computer, which buzzed her through the door. The Officers' families were protected by special security precautions; but the possibility of intruders breaking into her sister's home was not what worried Ba'Kira about the civilian set-up. The Centauris attacking the Base was what caused Ba'Kira fear. The Narns had become over-confident in the past few years, and they had constructed the Base close to their enemies' territory in order to be in a position to spy on them and possibly attack them when the time was right.

"Fools," Ba'Kira thought, "Creating a war when we could easily resolve our differences through negotiation on the Human station, _Babylon 5."_

Narn had an Ambassador posted there; why not use him to negotiate for the overall benefit and safety of the Narn people as opposed to the ambitions of wily politicians? Ba'Kira knew the answer to that question, and it could be explained in one word: _revenge._ Ambassador G'Kar of the Narn Regime had been a child during the worst years of the Centauri Occupation of Narn, and he was extremely bitter. The Centauris had been losing power over the last decade, and they were ripe for an attack by the mighty "Narn Empire". And so, G'Kar and his old cronies from the Revolutionary days preferred to sacrifice the lives of thousands of soldiers and possibly civilians as well, all for a moment of bitter vengeance...and then what? Who else would they destroy after that? The Humans? The Drazi? The Pak'ma'ra? The Regime had already conquered a number of worlds whose people were not given a say in the take-over. As she thought of it, the entire debacle made her feel angry. _Ma'Krat Zahn,_ or at least what it stood for, made her angry.

When she arrived at the door of her sister's quarters, she pushed the angry thoughts away. There was no sense in getting into another argument with Sha'Lok's militaristic husband, Bra'Kat. She pressed the buzzer and could hear a deep, masculine voice uttering the word "enter!"

Ba'Kira walked into the room with as much nonchalance as she could muster.

"Good evening, Commander," she greeted him in a formal fashion.

Bra'Kat was one of those who were never really off-duty. Sha'Lok and Ra'Jann had come to Base 37 in order to play a bigger part in his life; but it seemed to Ba'Kira that they were still just a small part of it, no matter how hard Sha'Lok tried to "make it work".

Ba'Kira had seen it all before: Kar Malka's father likely would have become like Bra'Kat had he survived and gone onto higher ranks within the Military establishment. The Narn Military demanded of its warriors that they be married first and foremost to their careers.

"Good evening, Ba'Kira," Bra'Kat returned her greeting, "Sha'Lok will be out momentarily. I was just leaving in order to attend to a matter on the Command Deck."

Before he could leave, young Ra'Jann ran over to him and tugged at his uniform.

"R'Kai Bra'Kat!" she pleaded, "Couldn't you stay for supper? Just this once? Please, R'Kai?"

Bra'Kat looked down at his daughter sadly and picked her up in his big, burly arms.

"I'm sorry, little pouchling of mine," he said, "I have to go because my duty calls me. One of these days, I will bring you to the Command Deck to see what we do."

"Now, R'Kai!" Ra'Jann demanded, "Take me now—you've been promising me that since we first got here, and you never have."

Bra'Kat hesitated, looking to Ba'Kira for help. Ba'Kira, however, did not intend to give that help. Bra'Kat had been making empty promises for far too long.

"Is it an emergency, Bra'Kat?" she asked him, somewhat frostily.

"Well...no, but..."

"Then take her," she ordered him, "Even if it's just for a minute. Send her back with one of your messengers."

Bra'Kat gave Ba'Kira a pained look, but he knew that he had been beaten.

"Go—now," Ba'Kira told him, "Before your mate lets you off the hook, and you disappoint your daughter yet again."

Bra'Kat lowered his gaze slightly before putting Ra'Jann down and walking out the door with her.

Sha'Lok came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, wearing a flowing red and gold tunic over a pair of tight black pants. She had on a golden necklace and had applied polish to her head spots to make them appear blacker—shiny black spots were considered very attractive on a Narn female.

"Where are Bra'Kat and Ra'Jann?" she asked in surprise.

"Bra'Kat had to go to the Command Deck, as usual," Ba'Kira explained, "and I ordered him to take Ra'Jann along with him. He's been promising her for long enough!"

Sha'Lok gave her sister an exasperated look.

"Ba'Kira, you shouldn't be telling Bra'Kat what to do when it comes to his job," she scolded her, "He must be able to serve at a moment's notice."

"And so must I, but I make time for family, Sha'Lok. You know what I think? I think that you and Ra'Jann should come with me to _Babylon 5,_ our next stop. Get away from Bra'Kat and his all-important duties for awhile. You can't make him your entire life!"

"I am in love with him, Ba'Kira," she said, "I am not like you...I can't create successful ventures and then use them to run around the galaxy saving everyone. I want to be a Mother-female, and create a home for my pouchlings and my mate. I can't do that if I go off on jaunts with you."

"Of course you can," Ba'Kira countered, "We could easily come back here and drop you off when we're finished. Do you know what I think? I think that you are not in love with Bra'Kat. I think, Sister, that you are in love with what you want to become."

Sha'Lok was silent for a few minutes as she finished her supper preparations.

"Do you know what it is I am becoming, Ba'Kira?" she asked her sister in a sly fashion. She patted her belly for added emphasis.

"Don't tell me—you're pregnant? Does Bra'Kat know?"

"Not yet," Sha'Lok murmured, "but I hope he will be pleased. The physician aboard the Base told me that I was carrying a male fetus. He will be ready for pouching in a few weeks."

"A few weeks!" Ba'Kira exclaimed, "Who will pouch the little Rock-Hog?"

Narn "pouchlings" were tiny and underdeveloped when birthed by the female; they required a "transfer" into the pouch of the male, where they would receive another five months of "milking" from the male pouch-teats. It was there that they would finish their fetal development within the pouch. After five months, the infant would begin to venture outside the pouch a bit, but would return there to sleep. Pouchlings required from six months up to a year before they "outgrew" their father's pouch and began to receive their milk either from a bottle or from the female's breasts. At that point, one of the mother, the father or both would take over the care of the child for the rest of its development into adulthood, which occurred at around seventeen or eighteen years of age.

If the "pouch-father" was unavailable to perform the "pouching" because of other duties, as in Bra'Kat's case, then another male "Pouch-Holder" needed to be found.

"I was wondering," Sha'Lok began slowly, "If...seeing as how I know so few people on the Base...would you be willing for Kar Malka to pouch him, Ba'Kira?"

Ba'Kira stared at Sha'Lok in surprise. _Kar Malka—a Pouch-Holder?_

"I don't know, Sha'Lok," she replied, "Kar Malka is still very young himself...he's only seventeen. He's barely into adulthood! I don't know if his pouch-teats would produce milk!"

"The doctor can give him special medication to stimulate milk production. It's something for him to consider," Sha'Lok explained, "Otherwise, I'm not sure who can perform this role...I can't have just anyone pouching Bra'Kat's child."

"What about one of Bra'Kat's friends?" Ba'Kira asked.

"They're all in the military," answered Sha'Lok, "I've been very worried about this issue, Ba'Kira, and I so much want to resolve it before I tell Bra'Kat that I'm pregnant."

There was a buzz at the door.

"Enter!" Sha'Lok called out, before saying to her sister, "That is probably Ra'Jann back from her short "tour" of the Command Deck."

"No," answered a boy's voice as he turned the corner and entered the kitchen, "It's me, Kar Malka. Ra'Jann nearly wrestled me to the floor in order to get me to come for dinner. I would have come without the battle, but no matter. So—where is the little terror?"

"She's with her father, Kar Malka," Sha'Lok told him, "And I was just discussing something with your mother...something for you to consider. May I ask him, Ba'Kira?"

Ba'Kira gestured in the affirmative, and Sha'Lok explained to the young Narn about her plight.

"I..." Kar Malka stammered when he had heard about the request, "I don't know, Aunt Sha'Lok. What about my duties aboard the _Ti'Quan?_ I hadn't been expecting to become a Poucher this early on in my life. What does Na'Nokai Ba'Kira say?"

"It's up to you, Kar Malka," Ba'Kira responded, "You are at the threshold of adulthood, and it's important for you to start making your own decisions."

"Could I pouch Sha'Lok's child _and_ still work aboard the _Ti'Quan?"_ Kar Malka asked.

"For the first while, yes," Sha'Lok explained, "But as the child grows bigger, I will need to have him near me so that I too can bond with the pouchling. After about four to five months, the child will begin to explore, and then it would be better to come here and stay for awhile. I'm sure Bra'Kat could give you some duties to keep you from getting bored...or perhaps you could work with Healer G'Ton in Med-Fa'ch."

"I'll give it some thought," Kar Malka replied in an uncertain tone.

Ba'Kira knew that he wanted to please his aunt, but if it was not what he wanted, he needed to tell her so fairly soon. She was about to point this out to him when Ra'Jann came tumbling through the door. The Messenger poked his head in the door to make sure that the girl was in the custody of her mother, and Sha'Lok waved him on to let him know that his task was complete.

"Kar Malka!" she shouted, running and jumping into her cousin's arms.

"Ra'Jann!" Kar Malka cried, twirling her around.

Ba'Kira had to admit that her son was good with children—he was not a bad choice to serve as Pouch-Holder. If he did take on the duty, however, she would not see as much of him after the next couple of months.

She helped her sister put the meal out on the small wooden supper-table in the middle of their quarters. It was an ancient table, one which had been carved more than a century ago out of a special kind of wood, back in the days when Narn was a green, fertile planet.

After saying a blessing to their ancient prophet, G'Quan, and one to his wife Ti'Quan as well, they all ate the vegetable stew that Sha'Lok had prepared. After supper, they washed dishes, told stories, and laughed about some of the silly things that had happened to them recently.

Then, in the middle of telling a story, it happened. Sha'Lok stopped speaking and clutched her belly.

"What is it, Sha'Lok?" Ba'Kira asked, "Surely not—the pouchling?"

"Yes, it is, it is!" Ra'Jann sung out excitedly, "I got to see R'Kai's Command Deck, and now Na'Nokai is having her pouchling! Ya, ya, ya!"

"Ra'Jann, quiet down," Ba'Kira told her, gesturing to Sha'Lok to take off her pants and lay down on a mat. Before she could do anything for her sister, a tiny little bundle of pink-blue skin emerged. Ba'Kira immediately took out her spare gloves and helped the little thing to break free and out of his mother. Kar Malka brought a pot of water and a sanitary cloth so that they could wipe the tiny creature dry of blood.

"He's early," Ba'Kira said, "and he needs a pouch, _right now_. Kar Malka, I'm sorry, but I think the decision's just been made for you. Open that pouch, my boy."

Kar Malka did as he was told, and Ba'Kira neatly placed the fetus into Kar Malka's waiting pouch.


	3. Establishing a Connection

12

 _ **Chapter Three: Establishing a Connection**_

Sha'Lok had come to see them off as they prepared the _Ti'Quan_ for departure.

"Are you sure you won't change your mind, Sha'Lok, and come with us to _Babylon 5_?" Ba'Kira asked beseechingly.

"No, Sister," Sha'Lok answered sadly, "My instinct tells me to stay here—Bra'Kat and I need some time on our own in order to deepen our soul connection."

"Are you sure it's your instinct telling you to do that, Sha'Lok? I mean—I am very honored that you trust me enough to place Ra'Jann in my care while we are visiting _Babylon 5,_ but even so it would be better if her mother came with her...and it would also be an opportunity for you to strengthen the bond with your new pouchling, now that he has settled into Kar Malka's pouch."

"No," Sha'Lok responded firmly, "I need to strengthen the bond with their father first. I have been thinking on what you have said about Bra'Kat not being as involved in Ra'Jann's life as we would like. In the old days the father was always involved in his pouchlings' upbringings because Narn families used to live an agrarian life on the farms. Nowadays, however, with the need for military protection of the Home-world, it is more difficult for both parents to be involved. He and I must work to develop a strong partnership in order to be good parents to Ra'Jann and the new pouchling. I'm sorry, Ba'Kira. You must think I'm a terrible mother to send my children to an alien station and not accompany them there, but I feel that this is the only opportunity I will have to cement the bond with my mate. Things are relatively quiet right now, but we can't be sure it will last. I know that Ra'Jann will love to spend time with her favorite Aunt, and that she will be safe under your care, just as the pouchling will be in Kar Malka's pouch."

"Sha'Lok," Ba'Kira said gently, "I am always more than happy to care for the kids—you know that. And as for me thinking that you are a terrible mother, you are the living proof that Narns have no telepathic ability whatsoever. I have always thought of you as the best mother in the Universe, and I will not be told to think differently. Your pouchlings are incredibly fortunate to have you, and so is Bra'Kat. The problem is that he does not appreciate you as he should, and I don't think time alone with him will solve that. I think that he will continue to ignore you in favor of his duties. I wish you would re-consider and come with us. It won't be for very long...maybe a week or two."

"Ba'Kira," Sha'Lok replied, "I wish you would stop judging Bra'Kat so harshly. His duties are vital to the protection of our people!"

"Let's stop it right there," Ba'Kira interjected, "I don't want to have an argument over the Narn Military when we're about to part ways, Sha'Lok. You do what you need to for Bra'Kat, but don't forget yourself in the process."

Sha'Lok embraced her sister and left the ship quickly before Ba'Kira could talk her into changing her mind.

"All doors lock," she called out, as she made her way to the command deck.

When she arrived there the crew members were at their stations and busily preparing to leave the Docking Bay.

"All systems are ready, Ba'Kira," Wall'Ahb told her through the translation device.

Wall'Ahb was speaking in Narn; but it was very difficult to make out her words, because the Pak'ma'ra's mouth was not exactly made for uttering Narn syllables. She had three thick tentacles around her grinding maw/beak, rendering speech in an alien language extremely slow and undecipherable without the aid of a translator. She also moved around very slowly on her multiple legs, and so Ba'Kira did not give her any order which would require her to move from her station unless she had ample time to get there. Over a long distance, of course, it was a different story. Once Wall'Ahb got herself moving, she could cover a great deal of distance in no time flat. Although she was asexual, Ba'Kira referred to her as "she" because, as she and the crew had gotten to know Wall'Ahb, they discovered that she had many feminine characteristics. Sometimes, she would even flirt with the male members of the crew, to everyone's amusement.

"All right, Wall'Ahb, chart our course. Bring her out, people!"

Before long, they had exited the Docking Bay and were on their way to _Babylon 5._ Ba'Kira sent word to her father Ra'Mogh that they were due to arrive within a couple of days. Her father had been staying at the Human space station for the past few weeks while his Fleet Commander, a Fourth Circle Councilor named Ni'Kar, was engaging in some negotiations. Ra'Mogh, meanwhile, was running a diagnostic on Ni'Kar's personal diplomatic vessel, the _Nu'Ral._ Ra'Mogh's young daughter, Ogra, had accompanied him on this particular mission, as she was on holidays from her boarding school on Narn and was missing her R'Kai very much.

It would be good to see Ogra, Ba'Kira's ten-year-old half-sister. It was because she knew Ogra was on _Babylon 5_ that she had suggested to Sha'Lok that Ra'Jann come with them. She knew that Ogra and Ra'Jann would be thrilled to see each other, and so she was keeping it a surprise until they met.

The journey aboard the _Ti'Quan_ passed uneventfully. Finally, the last jump gate propelled them to their destination. As they came out of hyperspace, the sight of the blue cylindrical space station known as _Babylon 5_ greeted them. As they neared the station, Ba'Kira sent out a signal which designated their ship as a medical supply vessel. The _Ti'Quan_ was not equipped with weapons, and so they needed to be extremely careful about how they approached alien stations and ships. Ba'Kira was especially wary of Centauri vessels, as they had been known to shoot down unarmed Narn vessels in retaliation for Narn military aggression. She was fairly sure that they would be safe in neutral territory, however, because the space station was there and its Human crew was watching. Narn-Centauri skirmishes would not be tolerated here.

"Captain of _Ti'Quan_ to _Babylon 5,"_ Ba'Kira said after Wall'Ahb had opened a channel for her to address the Command Deck, "Narn Medical Supply Vessel requesting permission to dock."

The _Ti'Quan_ powered down as it approached the station, slowing incrementally until it hung motionless in front of the huge, revolving station.

"Command and Control to Medical Supply Vessel," the harried voice of a Human female replied, "We're a little crowded today...your waiting time to dock will be approximately thirty minutes."

"Understood, Command and Control," Ba'Kira responded calmly, "We await your order."

"Yes, thank you for your patience," the officer replied, her relief evident.

The _Babylon 5_ crew had no doubt expected her to be irate, as many Narn Captains were when asked to wait. In the past ten to twenty years, Narns had slowly been gaining more and more power in the galaxy after having been occupied by the conquering Centauris for over one hundred years. They, like their former Conquerors, were developing a sense of entitlement as they gained power.

The Narn people had once been a peaceful, agrarian group; but since the Centauri Occupation, they had learned how to be warriors, intent upon first securing freedom for their own world, and later on taking away the freedom of other peoples' worlds. Ba'Kira hated what had happened to her people and what they had become because of it. Narns learned and adapted very quickly, and they had learned a great deal from their Conquerors on how to behave badly. Now, the positions of the Narns and Centauris were reversing. The Centauris were losing power in the galaxy as Narns were gaining it. The power struggle was taking place mainly in Quadrant 37, where the Narn military base _Ma'Krat Zahn_ was located, near the edge of Centauri space.

This was the reason that Ba'Kira had hoped to get Sha'Lok and her family away from the Base for a while. She had been experiencing strange dreams lately about returning to the Base only to find that it had disappeared, and had taken her beloved sister with it. She fervently hoped that this was only a dream, but with the tensions high between Narns and Centauris she could not afford to be complacent. A plan had been running itself through her mind: she had been considering changing the base of operations for her Supply business from _Ma'Krat Zahn_ to _Babylon 5_.

As she waited for the order to dock, she took the time to think about the change. She had a good feeling about _Babylon 5,_ whereas she did not have the same confidence about Narn Base 37, _Ma'Krat Zahn._ The Human station was not only a diplomatic outpost, but also a place which was used specifically for trade. Base 37 was strictly a military base, although she had been using it as a central location upon which to establish her business. _Babylon 5_ was further away from the Narn colonies, but they could still be reached from there. What if she could even expand her business to service Human and other alien worlds? From Base 37, that would not be possible, but from _Babylon 5_ it might work.

She also felt that Sha'Lok and her pouchlings would be safer on _Babylon 5_ than at their present location. If only she could convince Sha'Lok to leave Bra'Kat long enough to come here! She wished that her sister could see what she knew: the relationship with her dear Military Commander was a dead-end romance. Sha'Lok would have more luck developing a relationship with a cave-spider than with Bra'Kat. It was not that the Narn male was evil or mean, but he simply was not as committed to Sha'Lok as she was to him.

Ba'Kira knew from bitter experience that relationships with warriors ended either in tragedy or indifference. Bra'Kat would either die in battle or kill Sha'Lok's spirit with his benign neglect. Either way, her sister was destined to be hurt, and Ba'Kira hated that prospect. She wished that there was some way to save her from her fate, but that would require Sha'Lok's cooperation.

She shook her head a couple of times to bring herself out of her painful thinking process. Worrying about her sister would change nothing.

"How long have we been waiting, Wall'Ahb?" she asked her Pak'ma'ra co-worker after a substantial amount of time had elapsed.

"Forty-five minutes, Ba'Kira," Wall'Ahb replied without a trace of impatience.

Pak'ma'ras, or at least this particular Pak'ma'ra, seemed to have unending patience for situations in which they were required to wait. Ba'Kira supposed that it was natural for a species which under ordinary circumstances moved so slowly.

"Open a channel to the Command Deck again," she commanded.

Ba'Kira did not want to begin her relationship with the Station's crew by becoming annoyed, but she felt that she had been patient enough. Nonetheless, she drew in a breath before she spoke to ensure that she would come across in a polite manner.

" _Babylon 5 Command and Control_ ," she reminded them crisply, "We are still awaiting your docking order."

"Narn Medical Supply Vessel," the Human voice answered, "We are preparing to receive you now. Thank you for your continued patience."

The officer let them wait another fifteen minutes before finally giving them the order to dock.

"Narn Supply Vessel, Proceed to Docking Bay 9," said the officer.

The _Ti'Quan_ made its way slowly past the various entrance bays, until they arrived at the one which was marked '9' in Human, Minbari, Centauri, and Narn numerals.

"Enter," Ba'Kira commanded her navigational crew, "take your time. There may be differences in the way they construct their bases, so make sure that you remain alert."

Ba'Kira knew that she did not have to remind her crew how to do their jobs, but she was feeling somewhat anxious. This was, after all, an _alien_ base. She hoped that she had not made a mistake in bringing Ra'Jann and her newly born pouchling brother here. Sha'Lok had named the new infant " _Ko'Rab_ " which meant "surprise birth" in their family's particular clan dialect. Ko'Rab would keep his birth name until he was older, at which time he would choose his own adult name. Until then, Ba'Kira had sworn upon her life to keep Sha'Lok's pouchlings safe. She hoped that she would not be disillusioned by _Babylon 5_. So far, she was not impressed with their wait times for docking. That would prove a disadvantage to her business.

" _Keep an open mind, Ba'Kira,"_ she told herself, " _it may mean that the Station is so successful that people from every area of space are lining up to get in there!"_

As it turned out, the docking procedures went smoothly. Ba'Kira's people took their time guiding the _Ti'Quan_ into the bay, and they meticulously followed the directions of the docking crew. After they had powered down the engines into "slumber-dock" mode, they were required to wait another hour for the Security staff to scan their vessel and approve their cargo. Ba'Kira exited the craft and provided her identification as a licensed Medical Supplier.

"I have a cargo for Dr. Franklin of the _Babylon 5_ Medical Facility," she told the officer in the Centauri language.

Most Humans knew the Centauri language better the Narn one, and so even the Narns used Centauri as a common means to communicate...albeit reluctantly.

The Security Officer nodded before speaking into his communication device, which was linked into him through the top of his hand. Ba'Kira made sure that her translation device was securely fastened to her shoulder. She had been studying the written form of the Earth language for some time, but she was still not fluent in it when it came to actually speaking and understanding the words. She was confident, however, that she would pick it up quickly. Like most Narns, she learned languages rapidly upon hearing them spoken.

"All right, you're clear," he told her in the Earth language through her translation device, "We'll help you unload and deliver the supplies. Dr. Franklin would like to meet with you briefly to establish a connection with you. He wants confirmation that you are indeed a business which deals in bona fide medical supplies only."

"Yes, we are," Ba'Kira attempted to reply in the Earth language, "No weapons or illegal drugs."

"Dr. Franklin only wants to confirm that," the Security Officer answered, "Please don't be offended, but Franklin is very meticulous about whose services he employs."

Ba'Kira gave the officer the Narn gesture of respect: one clenched fist against her chest while bowing the head. Male Narns used two clenched fists when performing the same gesture, but Narn females had frontal teats like most bipedal mammals of their gender—using one fist between the breasts was infinitely preferable.

After she and her crew had finished the unloading procedures and had been given leave to enter, Ba'Kira sent them out to explore the strange space station. Kar Malka and his female friend, Ja'Quel, were entrusted with the care of little Ra'Jann while Ba'Kira went to speak to Healer Franklin. The three of them set off eagerly to go shopping in the commercial section.

"Remember, you're carrying your Aunt's pouchling, Kar Malka!" Ba'Kira called out after them.

"We're going to purchase some items for the little ones," Kar Malka called back to his mother as put his arm around Ja'Quel and departed bravely into the multi-species crowds. Ra'Jann scurried off after them excitedly.

They had been required to switch their currency to the form used here, which was in Earth credits; and they had each been issued an "Identi-card" for security purposes during the time that they were here.

Ba'Kira stopped one of the Human officers and asked for directions to the Medical Facility. He pointed her in the correct direction and even downloaded a map onto her pocket-computer. After a bit of confusion, she finally managed to find the correct facility.

"Dr. Franklin?" she called out as she entered the busy lab.

A dark-skinned Human in a blue coat paused in his work for a moment to greet her.

"I'm Franklin," he replied, and spoke a few words after that which she did not understand. She brought out her pocket computer once more and streamed the translation from her device onto the screen.

"I'm sorry," Franklin said, switching to Centauri, "I didn't realize that you didn't speak any Earth languages. You are Ba'Kira, I assume?"

"Yes," she replied, "I'm here to deliver the medical supplies that you need for the Narn patients. I have also included some general supplies which I hope will be useful to you...all of them legitimate."

"Yes, I hope you're not offended," Franklin told her, "but the last Narn supplier that we employed tried to use us to smuggle in some illegal substances which we believe they may have wanted to use to create bio-weapons."

"My company is not like that," Ba'Kira assured him, "our aim is to provide our people with legitimate medical supplies and services. We want to save lives, not destroy them. I am a trained Nurse-Medic, and the only reason that I have been operating from a Military Base is that nothing else is available in a central location to the colonies. I hope to change that by establishing a relationship with you here on _Babylon 5_."

"Sorry, but I've got a [mate] for this evening," Franklin said in the Earth language, through the Narn translation device. The device could not adequately translate one of his words, " _date"_ and so the alternative Narn word " _mate"_ was found and put in parenthesis for her.

Ba'Kira looked at him, confused. Humans were said to have a strange sense of humor, and so she did not think that he was actually considering her as a potential sexual partner. Nonetheless, she felt that she needed to clarify her intentions.

"I meant that I am here to establish a _business connection,"_ she told him tersely.

"I know," he answered, "I apologize...it's been a long day, and I make stupid jokes when I'm tired. All right, I'm willing to give your company a try, Ba'Kira. The price is right, and we're on a budget. If you earn our trust, then we'll be using you quite a lot. Have you ever thought of operating out of _Babylon 5_ instead of a Narn Military Base? After all, that's what _B5_ is here for...legitimate commerce and trade."

"I was thinking of it as we were waiting and waiting and waiting for your docking bays to permit us entry," she responded in a sassy fashion.

She wanted the Human Healer to know that he was not the only one with a wicked sense of humor. As she was showing him the supplies which had arrived from the docking bay, an emergency call came in for Franklin and his medical team.

"We have a stab-wound victim coming in, Ba'Kira," he told her, "We'll have to resume our conversation later."

A female doctor showed Ba'Kira the way out. As she left, a couple of Human Medics came thundering down the hallway with a gurney. On top of it was a big male Narn with white spots, and he was bleeding profusely. Ba'Kira looked at him in shock.

It was her father Ra'Mogh's Fleet Commander and friend, Councilor Ni'Kar! There was an ornately crafted golden hilt sticking out of his side, with the blade of a dagger wedged securely in his body. She attempted to enter the Medical Facility, but was barred from doing so. She immediately ran off to try to locate her father...he needed to know what had just happened to his superior officer.


	4. Acts of Passion

9

 _ **Chapter Four: Acts of Passion**_

 _Ra'Mogh of the Red Spot_ opened his arms to embrace his daughter Ba'Kira when he saw her charging down the hallway and careening into him at top speed. She used to do that when she was a small pouchling and he had just arrived home from a mission in space.

"Rrrr-arrrgghh, Pouchling!" he called out in his usual good-humored manner, "You haven't greeted me like this in a long time! Is the Human space station causing you to return to your pouch-hood years?"

"R'Kai Ra'Mogh," Ba'Kira explained breathlessly, "It's your Commander and friend, Councilor Ni'Kar. He has just been taken into the Medical Facility here—he has been stabbed and is bleeding profusely. I would have gone in to help him, but the Human Medical Team would not grant me access."

Ra'Mogh's good humor evaporated in favor of a more professional stance.

"Is there any information about a culprit yet?" he asked his daughter.

"No—none," Ba'Kira told him, "although the hilt of the dagger that was in his side appeared to be of Narn design."

Ra'Mogh growled in dismay, his orange eyes flashing angrily. He did not like the fact that Councilor Ni'Kar had just been attacked and injured under his watch. As the Captain of Ni'Kar's personal diplomatic vessel, he was in charge of the Councilor's personal safety.

"Let us go to the Human Security Chief," Ra'Mogh said to her, striding off in the direction of that Security Chief's office.

Ba'Kira followed him. As a Nurse-Medic, she felt as though she should be there tending to Ni'Kar's wound, but the Humans were in charge here and so they were forced to obey alien orders.

They had not gone far before the Human that they were searching for found them.

"Ra'Mogh," the Human said, "I take it you've heard the news."

"Yes, Mr. Garibaldi," Ra'Mogh answered him, "My daughter Ba'Kira has just told me. Do you know anything about this travesty?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Garibaldi said, "Can you and your daughter come in for questioning, please?"

The request was in the form of a question, but even through the translation device, Ba'Kira could tell that its tone suggested a command. The two red-spotted Narns obediently followed the Chief back to his office.

"My people are hot on the trail of the Narn female that we think attacked Ni'Kar," Garibaldi explained, "but the question is, why? According to my information, Ra'Mogh, your daughter has just arrived on the station. Do you know anything about this...Ba'Kira?"

"No more than I saw at the Medical Facility," Ba'Kira answered, "I was meeting with Healer Franklin in order to establish myself as a credible supplier of medical provisions and equipment when Councilor Ni'Kar was brought in. I'm a Nurse-Medic—I wanted to help, but they would not permit me to do so. I did notice, however, that the handle on the dagger in his side was of Narn design."

"Ni'Kar has been here negotiating the possibility of independence for the people of the Narn-conquered world, Mhrr'Unik," Ra'Mogh added, "and there may be some Narns who do not want to see that world regain its independence. The battle on the Mhrr'Unik home-world has been particularly bloody, and many Narn soldiers have been killed there. The female that performed this outrageous act could be a disgruntled soldier who has lost a family member in the fight."

"So this could be one of those damn Narn Blood Oaths... _Chon Kar_ , I think you guys call it? That stuff doesn't go over well at the Court here on B5. If Ni'Kar dies, that girl may be looking at having her ass tossed out an airlock."

"Death by exposure to space?" Ba'Kira responded, horrified, "I thought Humans were more civilized than that!"

"You thought wrong, Sister," Garibaldi said to her, "Ni'Kar is well-liked around here as _The Peace Dude_...unlike his brother, _The War Dude_ Ambassador G'Kar. Even if they are on opposite sides of the political game, though, G'Kar is still going to want justice for _his_ family member."

" _It is not_ _ **Chon Kar**_ _,"_ a familiar voice called out.

Ba'Kira turned around in utter shock to see a tall military female—it was her ex-lover!

"Na'Toth!" she cried in surprise, "You, here on _Babylon 5?"_

"Ba'Kira," she greeted her calmly, "Yes, I was posted here earlier this year as Ambassador G'Kar's Aide. He has sent me to inform you that we now know the identity of the assailant. She is a young adolescent, no more than fifteen years of age. She was sent as a soldier to the Mhrr'Unik home-world, where she lost her father to the Mhrr'Unik rebels. Her name is Kha'Mel, and she acted out of childish grief, nothing more. She probably knew that Ni'Kar was trying to arrange for Narn soldiers to withdraw from the Mhrr'Unik home-world and she targeted him, we believe, because the identity of the Mhrr'Unik who killed her father was unknown. It is very difficult to tell with the Mhrr'Unik, as they are not bipedal and they seem quite expressionless to us. Because the assault was perpetrated on Ni'Kar and not on the individual Mhrr'Unik who actually murdered her father, however, it cannot be considered as true _**Chon Kar**_. Nonetheless, Ambassador G'Kar wants mercy shown to this girl because she is so young."

"Ni'Kar would also want mercy to be shown towards young Kha'Mel," Ra'Mogh interjected, "because she acted out of the passion of her heart and not from the reason of her mind. I think you know that, Garibaldi: you and Ni'Kar have become friends in the past year, and you know his ways."

"Yeah, okay," Garibaldi conceded, "She won't get the air-lock if she's that young. But I'm going to have to bring her into custody at the very least. We can't have a homicidal Narn teen-ager running around loose on the station."

Garibaldi spoke into the communication link on the back of his hand.

"Lou," he said, "The Narns say that she's an adolescent—maybe about fifteen years of age. Does that fit your suspect?"

"Yeah, Chief, we've just caught her. She may be a kid, but she's a live wire. We're going to have to haul her into custody."

"Be careful—we don't want to deal with any enraged Narn family members if she gets hurt."

"Will do, Chief. I don't think she has any family, though. From what the Narns in Down Below say, she's an orphan who recently arrived here. She's got nobody."

"Okay," Garibaldi replied gently, "be careful with her anyways."

"I can speak with the young girl, Mr. Garibaldi," Ba'Kira said to him, sensing that the hardened Security man had a soft spot in his heart for rebellious adolescents, "She will be very afraid in this alien world, and I can help to calm her."

"We'll contact you through Na'Toth when we've finished questioning her, Ms. Ba'Kira," Garibaldi told her, "until then, I'd like you and your father to sit tight."

Ba'Kira looked at Na'Toth questioningly.

"He means that he wants you to leave him alone with the girl for a while," Na'Toth said to Ba'Kira in Narn, "don't worry—he won't hurt her."

"And what of Ni'Kar?" Ra'Mogh asked, "Have you heard if he has survived the attack yet?"

"The Docs are working on him, Ra'Mogh," Garibaldi told him, not unkindly, "You go and tend to your ship. We'll let you know when we hear more."

Ra'Mogh nodded, realizing that there was little more to say. He left with Ba'Kira and Na'Toth, who walked with him on either side.

"Don't fret, Ra'Mogh," Na'Toth said to him cheerfully, "Ni'Kar is very resilient. I'm sure he will survive...he's too much of a pain in the ass to die."

Ra'Mogh chuckled, in spite of the dire circumstances.

"Ba'Kira, I need to go and find my daughter Ogra," he said, "She is very fond of Ni'Kar, and I don't want her to hear the news from anyone else but me."

Ba'Kira nodded, and embraced her father before he left to go and find ten-year-old Ogra, who was with her personal "Pouch-Holder"...as baby-sitters were referred to on Narn. She knew that she also needed to find Ra'Jann and Kar Malka. Ra'Jann was too young to grasp the implications of what had happened, but she knew that Kar Malka admired Ni'Kar and would be upset. The big white-spotted Narn had been a family friend for many years, and he had been the one to help her negotiate Wall'Ahb's release from slavery. He cared deeply about freedom—not just for Narns, but for all beings. Unfortunately, his desire to create freedom for the populations of the conquered worlds also made him a target of many of his colleagues' wrath. Although his brother, the Narn Ambassador G'Kar, always tried valiantly to protect him, it was not always possible to do so. Ni'Kar even had disagreements with G'Kar over Narn Military policy, as he firmly believed that negotiation rather than force was the correct way to deal with most of the Narn Regime's disputes.

"Na'Toth, I need to find my son Kar Malka and my niece Ra'Jann," Ba'Kira said to her, "Can you lead me back to the commercial section, please?"

"Of course," Na'Toth replied gallantly, "Follow me, my dear _Ba'Kira-with-Eyes_ - _as-Orange-as-a-Rock-Squash_."

"Of course, my dear _Na'Toth-with-Eyes-as-Red-as-a-Narn-Passion-Flower."_

Ba'Kira followed the taller Narn, somewhat dismayed at seeing her after so many years apart. She felt somewhat awkward, and so she made an attempt at conversation.

"I see that you're as dedicated as always to your military career," she said, not quite managing to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Why would I not be, Ba'Kira?" she asked, "Your attempts at domesticating me did not work when we were together; why do you think they would work after I left you?"

"Kar Malka was devastated when you left us," Ba'Kira growled, "But I suppose that's what military people do."

"We do when our partners are unreasonable, yes," Na'Toth retorted icily, "and I would appreciate it if you would stop using Kar Malka as your tool of guilt with which to manipulate me. I left partly because I did not like you doing that to him."

" _You are trying to blame me for your abandonment of us?!"_ Ba'Kira screeched, "Never mind, Na'Toth! I will find my son and niece on my own!"

Ba'Kira stalked away from her, enraged by the haughty arrogance of the well-born daughter of a Narn politician. How dare Na'Toth criticize her at a time like this?

She stomped around the commercial section for the next half-hour, asking for directions whenever she became lost. After she was about to give up hope of finding them, she at last spotted Kar Malka, Ja'Quel, and Ra'Jann—and they were all sitting down at a restaurant table drinking tea with Na'Toth!

Ba'Kira was furious, but she did not want Na'Toth to see that she had gotten the better of her, so she took a deep breath and walked up to the table with as much false nonchalance as she could muster.

"Kar Malka," she greeted her son, "I see that you've discovered Na'Toth's presence here on the station."

"Yes, Na'Nokai," Kar Malka replied, "Is that so very wrong?"

"No," Ba'Kira responded, peering at Na'Toth scathingly, "Not for you it isn't, my son."

"Well, I guess that's my queue to leave," Na'Toth muttered sarcastically, "I hope to see you again, pouchlings—if Ba'Kira will permit it."

"Aunt Ba'Kira, why are you so angry with that lady?" asked Ra'Jann after Na'Toth had breezily departed, "She seemed nice to us. She bought us tea and biscuits!"

"Yes, I'm sure she did, Ra'Jann!" Ba'Kira snapped, before thinking better of it and apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Ra'Jann," she said, "I used to love that lady, but we argued a lot. She left me and stopped being my friend, and so I'm angry about that. But that doesn't mean that you and Kar Malka shouldn't speak to her, if you wish. Kar Malka, did Na'Toth tell you...?"

"No, Na'Nokai," Kar Malka replied, "She said that you would have something important to say to us, though. Has something happened to Grandfather Ra'Mogh?"

"No, Malk. It's Councilor Ni'Kar. He's been stabbed...he's being tended to by the Medical Doctors here."

"What?!" cried Kar Malka, "Who was it...one of his political enemies?"

"No," Ba'Kira tried her best to soothe him, "It was a young girl of only about fifteen years. She was upset about her father having died on the Mhrr'Unik home-world, and she took her anger out on Ni'Kar because he was trying to negotiate freedom for the Mhrr'Unik people."

"But why try to kill Ni'Kar?" Kar Malka asked, "He was trying to bring the Narn Troops home from that blasted blood-bath on Mhrr'Unik! It doesn't make sense to me that she would go after him."

"Acts of passion seldom make sense, Malk," Ba'Kira told him, "But right now, I think that we need to go and be with Grandfather Ra'Mogh and little Ogra...they'll both be upset about this."

"Yes!" shouted Ra'Jann as Ja'Quel attempted valiantly to quiet her, "I want to see Ogra!"

Ba'Kira gestured to Ja'Quel that she should concentrate her efforts on Kar Malka. She then picked Ra'Jann up in her arms and twirled around with her.

"Yes!" she cried, imitating her niece, "Let's go see Ogra and Nor'R'Kai Ra'Mogh!"

Ba'Kira and Ra'Jann began to loudly sing a Narn pouchling's song together, while Kar Malka and Ja'Quel followed, embarrassed, at a discreet distance.


	5. A Sojourn Interrupted

12

 _ **Chapter Five: A Sojourn Interrupted**_

Ba'Kira sat at the supper table with her family. Ra'Mogh intoned the blessing to G'Quan, and they began to eat their spoo-vegetable stew. Except for Ogra and Ra'Jann, who grunted and giggled throughout the meal, everyone was silent. No one wanted to talk about what had happened to their friend. Kar Malka had invited Ja'Quel over for supper, and the pair of them wolfed down their supper so that they could go for a romantic walk around the station rather than brooding over the turn of events. Ogra brought Ra'Jann into her room to play one of the Human board games that she had acquired while she was here.

Ba'Kira and her father Ra'Mogh were left to sit in silence and drink Blackrock tea.

"Did you and Na'Toth have an argument?" Ra'Mogh asked, breaking the silence.

"It wasn't long enough to be an argument, R'Kai," Ba'Kira told him, "I left before she could really start putting me down in earnest. She was critical of me, as usual...she said that I used Kar Malka as a "tool of guilt" to manipulate her. What rubbish!"

"Hmm," Ra'Mogh replied in as non-committal a tone as possible, "and were you critical of her, Ba'Kira?"

Ba'Kira sighed. She wished that R'Kai Ra'Mogh would take her side more and stop trying to see Na'Toth's side. He always maintained a kind of uneasy neutrality on the subject of her failed romances with soldiers. It was at times like this that she missed her mother, La'Sira, who would have vehemently taken her side on any failed romance whether her daughter was to blame or not. La'Sira had been a dedicated physician who had died giving medical care to the soldiers on Mhrr'Unik, at the same time as Ra'Mogh was serving the Narn Military as a cargo captain in and around the Mhrr'Unik home-world. R'Kai Ra'Mogh had never wanted to talk about how La'Sira died. Ba'Kira had been in boarding school on Narn while her parents were away and she had always assumed that a Mhrr'Unik rebel had mistaken La'Sira for a member of the Military and had sprayed her with its deadly venom. If she had reacted like young Kha'Mel did when her father was killed on that same world, then she would have taken a _Chon Kar_ against La'Sira's killer. Ba'Kira did not believe in the _Chon Kar_ , however, and neither had her mother. Both La'Sira and her daughter were in the business of saving lives, and to them, the Narn Blood Oath was just another way to advance vengeance, cyclical violence and unnecessary deaths.

Na'Toth, on the other hand, was a believer in the Blood Oath. If anyone was foolish enough to kill someone that she cared about, she would not rest until they were dead. Ba'Kira did not know whether Na'Toth had ever killed another Narn out of revenge, and she never wanted to know.

Seeing Na'Toth on the station today reminded her of how much she had been under the aggressive female's thumb when they were together. She was glad to be rid of her former lover, but she also realized that she still held a spark of passion for her. She was certain that Na'Toth felt the same towards her, or she would have treated Ba'Kira with cold indifference instead of arguing with her. She knew what the cold indifference of Na'Toth felt like: whenever she was getting ready to leave, the military female would withdraw from both her and her son. Ba'Kira knew that Na'Toth was only protecting herself emotionally, but even so her frozen apathy felt like a cold metal blade slicing through her heart every time she displayed it.

Presently, there was a buzz at the door. Ra'Mogh called out "Enter" and who should appear but Na'Toth. _This is not fair,_ Ba'Kira said to herself, _why can't she leave me and my family alone?_

"Na'Toth," Ra'Mogh greeted her cautiously, "Do you have news of Ni'Kar?"

"Ni'Kar is recovering, slowly," Na'Toth announced without emotion, "he is in Med Lab right now. Dr. Franklin believes that he will live, but he will not permit Ni'Kar to resume his work at present. The Councilor's wife, Tre'a, has asked me to relay a message to you and Ba'Kira. Ni'Kar had planned to go to Base 37— _Ma'Krat Zahn—_ in order to meet with some important Narn politicians who are working to achieve peace on the Mhrr'Unik home-world. These particular politicians do not want to involve aliens in the negotiations with the Mhrr'Unik rebels, however, and so they have insisted that Ni'Kar meet them at _Ma'Krat Zahn_ rather than _Babylon 5._ The Councilor cannot possibly go in his present condition, and Ambassador G'Kar cannot be seen as being overly sympathetic to the rebels' cause. Ni'Kar has already caused enough trouble for the family through his actions, but he is adamant that the meeting at _Ma'Krat Zahn_ go ahead. Tre'a will therefore go in his place, and she will bring two servants with her. The third servant is a young girl named Ru'Kyla who will remain behind to look after Ni'Kar's needs while his wife is away. When Ni'Kar recovers sufficiently, which should not take long for a Narn of his strength, he will join Tre'a there for the negotiations to end the conflict on Mhrr'Unik by declaring it a war of attrition.

"Tre'a has asked that one or both of you transport her over to M _a'Krat Zahn._ She has never before engaged in this kind of negotiation, and she specifically asked for _you_ to accompany her to the Base, Ba'Kira. You know the Base and could be her guide there, as she will no doubt be overwhelmed; and, as you know, Tre'a is deaf. She will need an interpreter when she uses sign language to speak with the politicians, and you are a more charismatic presence than either of her servants. My suggestion is that you both go in Ni'Kar's personal diplomatic craft, the _Nu'Ral._ Mistress Tre'a will feel more secure with you as Captain, Ra'Mogh."

"I will do as my Mistress commands," Ra'Mogh responded, standing up to bow his head to Na'Toth.

Ba'Kira remained seated. The last thing she wanted to do was to go back to _Ma'Krat Zahn._ She had just left the stinking place!

"I have also been given a message from your sister, Ba'Kira," Na'Toth told her, "Sha'Lok has heard about the attack on Ni'Kar, and she wants Ra'Jann and Kar Malka to return to the Base with you when you go there. She is concerned about the safety of her two pouchlings...I understand that Kar Malka has agreed to be Pouch-Holder for the newborn, and Sha'Lok therefore requests that he return to avoid any dangerous situations."

"But they are not in any danger!" Ba'Kira protested, "Ni'Kar was attacked because of his politics; but I and my family have always maintained neutrality on this front. Besides, we are a very long way from being as prominent as Ni'Kar. I will contact Sha'Lok and try to talk some sense into her. I can bring Ra'Jann with me if she insists, but I would like Kar Malka to have more time to explore the opportunities on _Babylon 5._ If we go back on the _Nu'Ral,_ I will need someone to check on our own ship the _Ti'Quan_ and help Wall'Ahb with the diagnostic that we were planning on running while we were staying on _Babylon 5._ "

"All those details I will leave to you, Ba'Kira," Na'Toth told her, "I am simply the messenger."

Having delivered her message, Na'Toth turned and left as abruptly as she had come. After she had departed, the two girls came out of Ogra's bedroom.

"What is happening, Aunt Ba'Kira?" asked Ra'Jann, "Do we have to go back now?"

"I'm going to speak with your mother about that, Ra'Jann," Ba'Kira replied, "It's really not necessary for you to go back; I know I could entrust you and your little brother to Kar Malka and Ja'Quel's care. I must convince her of that, however."

Ra'Mogh contacted his crew members to let them know that they would be leaving soon. When he was finished, Ba'Kira opened a long-distance channel to Sha'Lok in order to convince her that _Babylon 5_ would be safe for her children. With any luck, Ba'Kira could leave the kids here, return to Base 37 with Tre'a to interpret for her, and then be back here before their sojourn on the Human station was over. It would depend on how long the negotiations took, however. How long did it take to negotiate a war of attrition, she wondered. The Narn Military was being worn down slowly by the rebels, so their days on the Mhrr'Unik home-world were numbered anyways. Why not simply end it now and save lives on both sides? Ba'Kira knew, however, that Narn politicians seldom did anything reasonable. Most of them were power-hungry and ruthlessly ambitious when it came to acquiring new territories, and the majority of them would no doubt oppose the peace plan by holding on to Mhrr'Unik for as long as they could in spite of the loss of life that it would cause.

"Ba'Kira!" Sha'Lok's image flickered onto the screen as she greeted her sister in relief, "Thank G'Quan I've been able to get through to you. Bra'Kat told me the news about Ni'Kar! I wasn't able to reach the _Ti'Quan_ as I imagine it is being shut down for tests, so I asked the Humans to put me through to the Narn Ambassadorial Office. I hope Na'Toth gave you the message that _you must bring the children home_ to _Ma'Krat Zahn_ immediately. I had no idea _Babylon 5_ would be the site of a political blood-bath when I agreed to send Ra'Jann and infant Ko'Rab there. I'm sorry to cut short Kar Malka's sojourn, but he must bring Ko'Rab back to me."

"Sha'Lok, be reasonable!" Ba'Kira pleaded with her, "Neither Ra'Jann nor Ko'Rab is in any danger here. Why, they're probably safer here than on that infernal Military Base of yours. Ni'Kar was attacked by a lone orphan who was grieving, not an assassin! _Babylon 5_ is _not_ the site of a political blood-bath, as you call it."

Sha'Lok continued to argue with Ba'Kira until finally she managed to convince her anxious sibling to let Kar Malka stay on _Babylon 5_ with Ko'Rab. Ra'Jann, however, needed to come back "home" to the base. Sha'Lok was obviously missing the company of her daughter, which told Ba'Kira that Sha'Lok's "deepening of the soul connection" with Bra'Kat had failed. She was not surprised, but she wished that Sha'Lok would allow Ra'Jann this opportunity to experience something different besides the drab uniformity of the military life aboard Base 37.

After she had finished her conversation with Sha'Lok, she told Ra'Jann that they would be leaving within the next couple of days. She hoped that Ra'Mogh would delay departure as long as possible, but she knew her father was not one to dilly-dally when he had been given an order from his Superior.

"Ba'Kira," he said, "I will need you to be ready to leave today. I have contacted Tre'a's servant G'Kona and he says that we must go as soon as possible. There are many lives depending on these negotiations, and so we can't stop to sight-see on _Babylon 5._ Ogra is going to come along to give Ra'Jann some companionship, so at least the girls will still have a visit with one another."

"Well, at least there's that," Ba'Kira murmured in a disappointed tone of voice, "I had better go find Kar Malka and Ja'Quel to tell them that we'll be leaving shortly."

"Ba'Kira," Ra'Mogh said to her as she turned to go out the door, "One of my crew members has had to travel back to Narn due to a family emergency. Do you think Wall'Ahb could fill in for him?"

"Yes," Ba'Kira conceded, "I'm sure Wall'Ahb will be amenable to that. I would have liked her to stay and develop her relationship with the other Pak'ma'ras here, but Ja'Quel told me that's not going so well anyways."

She left her father with that sad thought as she walked down the corridor searching for The Love-Couple. This time, she did not have to go far to find them. She went back to the restaurant where she had seen them drinking tea with Na'Toth, and sure enough they were there. When Ba'Kira told them the news, Kar Malka seemed almost excited at the prospect of being left on his own with Ja'Quel.

"Don't worry, Na'Nokai Ba'Kira, I'll look after little Ko'Rab...and the _Ti'Quan_ as well. You won't have to worry about a thing!"

"Just don't impregnate Ja'Quel while I'm away," Ba'Kira told her son sternly, "You've already got one pouchling to care for, and you don't want another at this point in your life."

"Na'Nokai!" Kar Malka exclaimed, embarrassed, "You must think Ja'Quel and I are a couple of idiots!"

"No," Ba'Kira told them, "I think you're a couple of adolescents, that's what."

"We'll be fine, Chief Ba'Kira," Ja'Quel reassured her, "I'm on birth control anyways, so you don't need to worry. I'll help your son look after the pouchling...and the _Ti Quan._ "

"I know you two will do a good job," she said, "that's why I'm leaving you in charge. Wall'Ahb is probably going with us, and so you'll have to get Chief Engineer Na'Kola to teach you how to help him run the diagnostic on the T _i'Quan."_

Kar Malka and Ja'Quel gestured their respect to her, and she returned the gesture. They were good kids—they'd manage well on their own here, but she intended to ask Engineer Na'Kola to keep an eye on them anyways. As she left them to continue their romantic interlude in the restaurant, she was again accosted by the seemingly omnipresent Na'Toth.

"What do you want, Na'Toth?" she asked irritably, "I've got to prepare for the trip back to _Ma'Krat Zahn_ , as you well know."

"Yes," Na'Toth agreed, "You don't seem terribly pleased about it, either. Well, I've got an additional duty for you, if you're up for the challenge. You did tell Garibaldi you would be willing to talk to the young would-be assassin, Kha'Mel, did you not?"

"Yeah, and I'll still talk with her, if the Humans will let me," Ba'Kira responded.

"The Wife of Ni'Kar has requested that you all take Kha'Mel with you when you go back to Base 37. Ambassador G'Kar has managed to convince the Humans that Kha'Mel will be better off serving her sentence in the Narn Military as opposed to sitting in a cell on Babylon 5 for the next few months. She has been charged with aggravated assault, but they are willing to cede her into our custody. Do you think that you can manage her aboard the _Nu'Ral,_ or do I need to arrange for a Prisoner's Escort vessel?"

Ba'Kira paused to think about it.

"May I speak to the girl for a minute?" she asked, "I want to see what kind of state she's in."

"She's much calmer than she was," Na'Toth said, "and Tre'a has been to see her already. She has been very kind to the youngster, and so I don't think she will try anything again. Commander Bra'Kat has agreed to put her into additional training and give her menial duties around the Base in order to atone for what she's done."

"I suppose it would be a good idea to get her away from Babylon 5 while Ni'Kar is recuperating," Ba'Kira conceded, "but I would still like to talk with her before I take on this particular duty, Na'Toth."

"I thought as much," Na'Toth said, "Very well, Ba'Kira. Follow me."

Na'Toth led the way to Kha'Mel's prison cell, where one of the Human guards opened the door for her; and she stepped inside cautiously, preparing herself to speak to the young outlaw who had tried to kill her father's friend.

Ba'Kira looked into Kha'Mel's red eyes and saw a great deal of pain there. She had the look of a trapped animal, one who had been beaten too many times and was ready to bite back.

"Kha'Mel," she greeted the girl gently, "Do you know who I am?"

"You are Ba'Kira, the lady who will take me to _Ma'Krat Zahn_ so that I can work my ass off for the Narn Military and get sent back to Mhrr'Unik to be killed."

"One of the Commanders at Base 37 is my brother-in-law," Ba'Kira informed her, "and I will tell him that you _must not_ be sent back to Mhrr'Unik ever again. You were too young to be posted there in the first place."

"I am a girl of the Outer Circle," Kha'Mel snarled ominously, "I don't matter to anyone."

"You matter to us, Kha'Mel," Ba'Kira told her, "But you must agree not to attack anyone else if we bring you to the base. Commander Bra'Kat will arrange for some light duties to do—nothing dangerous. The Narn Base in Quadrant 37 is not as interesting as Babylon 5, but it does have decent living quarters for its soldiers and their families. It will be better than spending your days in a cell and then returning to the "Down Below" section of _Babylon 5,_ which I understand is not a particularly pleasant place."

"I prefer it to the Narn Military," Kha'Mel replied, the anger draining from her voice, "but I suppose I no longer have that choice. You probably think that I am stupid for stabbing the big White-Spot."

"No, not stupid," Ba'Kira responded gently, kneeling down beside her, "but you attacked the wrong person. Councilor Ni'Kar wants to end the conflict on Mhrr'Unik so that soldiers like you can go home again."

"I have no home," Kha'Mel growled, "If I am sent back to Narn, I will probably be brought back into the Drug Gangs. If I stay on _Babylon 5_ , I will probably be drawn into the Drug business once I am released. I joined the Narn Military when I was eleven years old in order to escape the drugs, but now my four-year-term is complete, and I still have nowhere else to go except the blasted Military."

"Where are your parents?" Ba'Kira asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Gone," Kha'Mel told her bluntly, "My father died when he was posted to Mhrr'Unik, and my mother took off on another one of her drinking sprees. That was when I ran off and joined the Military. I only joined it in the hope that I could be posted where my father was—on Mhrr'Unik—but then, he was killed by one of the rebels. I can't really blame them for R'Kai's death because he always said we had no right to be on their home-world in the first place. I got a ride to _Babylon 5_ with a cargo ship that was going there, since I thought that would be a good place to find a politician. I decided to kill one of the politicians that sent my father to Mhrr'Unik—I thought Ni'Kar was _in favor_ of Narn soldiers being on Mhrr'Unik. If I had known that he was trying to stop the fighting there, I might not have attacked him. I don't know...I wasn't really thinking straight, to be honest with you."

"So we were wrong—you didn't stab him because you were _against_ his politics, you did it because you thought he was on the other side of the fence?"

"I guess so...but then again, I might have attacked him anyways because I was also angry at the Mhrr'Unik rebels for killing R'Kai. I felt that they did not deserve to be free," Kha'Mel muttered, "Like I said, I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted to get back at _someone_ for my father's death, and that guy was wearing a Narn Commander's uniform on top of being a Councilor-political type."

"But you know now, Kha'Mel, that attacking people for no reason is not going to help anything, don't you?"

"I know that if I do to your Bra'Kat on _Ma'Krat Zahn_ what I did to Ni'Kar on _Babylon 5_ that I will not be alive to attack anyone anymore."

"Very well," answered Ba'Kira slowly, "then tell me this, Kha'Mel: given your options, what would you like to do? Do you want to take your chances on _Babylon 5_ or would you like to go to _Ma'Krat Zahn_ and work for Bra'Kat and his gang?"

Kha'Mel breathed a heavy sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

"Neither one," she said finally, "but I guess if I want to be able to eat regularly I have to choose _Ma'Krat Zahn_ , don't I? I mean, I may be free in the _Down Below_ section of _Babylon 5_ , but if I starve it's not much good to me...and I'm clean out of money."

"All right," Ba'Kira responded, "then I've made up my mind. I'll take you with us to _Ma'Krat Zahn, K_ ha'Mel."


	6. Emergency Exit

13

 _ **Chapter Six: Emergency Exit**_

Ba'Kira and Wall'Ahb sat with the two pouchlings in the Kitchen/Dining Hall on the diplomatic vessel _Nu'Ral._ Ba'Kira clutched a cup of luke-warm tea while Wall'Ahb munched on a dead desert-rat. Pak'ma'ras were eaters of carrion and so any ship that they traveled on had to have a good supply of frozen carcasses on it. If Ba'Kira and the two girls had been Human, they would have been disgusted by the item on Wall'Ahb's dinner menu, but because they were Narns it barely bothered them.

Ogra knew Wall-Ahb well and had seen her eat many times, and so Ra'Jann took her queue from her youngest Aunt and simply ignored the unpleasant spectacle. The girls played a Narn card game while Kha'Mel was mopping the floor. Ba'Kira had delegated the duty to the adolescent in order to keep Kha'Mel as busy as possible so that she would not have time to mope and brood about her tragic losses in life.

As they were waiting for the ship to arrive at _Ma'Krat Zahn,_ Ba'Kira considered taking up a broom or a mop and joining Kha'Mel, just to give herself something to do. Aboard her own ship, the _Ti'Quan,_ she was the Chief Medic and Captain of her vessel, but on her father's ship she was just a passenger. She was not accustomed to sitting around while others worked. She tapped her fingers on the table, and just as she was about to search for another mop, Ni'Kar's wife Tre'a entered the Hall. She was an astonishingly beautiful Narn woman with an intricate, jet-black spot array on her head and the extremely rare feature of having violet-hued eyes. She wore a head-dress made of gold and an elegant blue and silver gown. Ba'Kira had to take a deep breath every time she saw Tre'a, just to keep from ogling her.

"Greetings, Ba'Kira," she signed, and Ba'Kira returned the signed greeting. She had learned Narn sign language when she had worked at a school for the Deaf on one of her placements at the University of the Healing Circle. Some of her students had learned to lip read and speak, but Tre'a only ever used sign language. That fact only added to her aura of mysterious intrigue, Ba'Kira felt.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Mistress Tre'a?" Ba'Kira signed to her.

"No, thank you," Tre'a replied through her hand gestures, "I just wanted to know how Kha'Mel was settling in."

"Fine," Ba'Kira reassured her, "I have given her some cleaning duties to keep her busy."

"Let us hope that she can make a life for herself on the station," Tre'a said, "I know a few Narn families there who would be willing to mentor her, if she is willing."

"Well, I'm sure she needs it if any of your friends are up for the challenge."

"One of my friends is a social worker," Tre'a responded, "She can help Kha'Mel to come back to herself."

At that point in the conversation, Tre'a's female servant entered the Hall and stood before her Mistress with a concerned expression on her face.

"How is G'Kona, Ta'Kyla?" Tre'a asked her through signing.

"Not good," Ta'Kyla signed back, "I just wondered if Ms. Ba'Kira would be willing to take a look at him. The ship's physician says he is old and just needs rest, but G'Kona is normally never tired. I think he knew that he was not well before he came on this journey with us, but he was too proud and stubborn to say anything about it to us. He pretended to be strong in front of you and the Master because he did not want to worry you at this terrible time. But I think he is quite ill."

"By Ti'Quan, I should have realized," Tre'a signed, her face strained with worry, "I'm sorry, Ta'Kyla, I was so caught up with anxiety about Ni'Kar that I have neglected poor G'Kona."

"You have neglected no one, Mistress," Ta'Kyla told her firmly, "Please don't blame yourself. As I said, G'Kona is a stubborn old Rock-Hog."

"I can certainly take a look at G'Kona if he agrees," Ba'Kira offered, glad to have something useful to do. She picked up her Medic's kit from her luggage and gestured to Ta'Kyla to lead the way.

Ta'Kyla nodded and led her to G'Kona's berth. He was on one of the top beds, and so Ba'Kira had to climb up and in. It became somewhat awkward when G'Kona opened his eyes and stared at her as though she were here to perform some indecent act upon him.

"G'Kona," she said, "Do you remember me? I'm Ba'Kira, the daughter of Captain Ra'Mogh. I'm a Nurse-Medic, and I just want to examine you to see how you're doing."

"Yes," G'Kona croaked, "Daughter of Ra'Mogh, I remember you. You are here to discover my secret...I am dying."

"Have you seen a physician...I mean, for a thorough examination?" Ba'Kira asked as she took his blood pressure. It was dangerously low.

"I don't need to see a physician," he said, "I know when I'm ready to die. I had hoped to serve my Master and Mistress one last time before I died, but I now realize I was foolish to attempt it. Now the Mistress will worry, and it is my fault."

"G'Kona, I think we need to transfer you to the Base 37 Hospital as soon as the _Nu'Ral_ docks. If you don't want to worry the Mistress, then at least humor her by doing as I suggest. Once you are safely at the hospital, the doctor can run tests—again, you can cooperate just to humor us all. And then, if you want, you can die in peace and we'll stop bothering you."

"Yes," G'Kona cackled, his breathing labored, "I'll die in peace, knowing that I arranged for my grandson to be cared for by my old friend's son. My old friend lives on Babylon 5, and his son will bring Ma'Kona there when he is finished his military training on Narn. I know that Tan Kari will look after him..."

"Yes," Ba'Kira soothed him, "I'm certain that he will. You have nothing to worry about, G'Kona...we can even send someone to Narn to make sure that Ma'Kona is all right if you wish..."

"No..." G'Kona's words gave way to a fit of coughing.

"No," he tried to whisper again when the coughing spell had passed, "I know that Ma'Kona is all right. I can feel it in my heart. I have faith in my friend's son. Go, now, Daughter of Ra'Mogh. I will follow your orders when we get to the Base, but it really is not necessary to bring me to a hospital. I do not need to know the scientific name for my illness—I already know it intimately, for it has resided in my body for a long time. I am ready, now...please go, Daughter of Ra'Mogh."

Ba'Kira left the old man with a portable med-vaporizer from her kit. She set it up with a special medicine for the bronchial tubes and let it run. At least it would help to make the coughing a bit less. She crawled down and looked at Ta'Kyla, shaking her head.

"I think he may indeed be ready to die," she told her, "I don't want to upset the Mistress, but if G'Kona has no desire to live, he will not last long. I've conned him into letting us take him to the hospital on the Base, but I think it's possible that we're too late...although the Healer will need to run some tests to be sure."

Ta'Kyla burst into sobs, and Ba'Kira held her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Ta'Kyla," she told her softly, "I know you've been through a lot lately."

"I am so saddened for the Mistress," Ta'Kyla said, "First that crazy girl Kha'Mel tried to kill Master Ni'Kar and now G'Kona is getting ready to die...the old fool! I bet that if he would have seen a Healer he could have gotten it fixed up. He just wanted to be stubborn and die on us. I'm so mad at him!"

"All right, Ta'Kyla, getting mad at him won't help. Let's just try to be calm for the Mistress."

They told Tre'a together, and Tre'a held Ta'Kyla in her arms as Ba'Kira had done, rocking her gently.

Ba'Kira contacted her father on the Command Bridge and asked him if he could increase the traveling speed just a bit because they had an urgent medical situation.

"I'll try my best, dear daughter," Ra'Mogh told her, "Although it won't be long now before we're at the Base. Do you want me to call a Star Ambulance?"

"No," Ba'Kira replied, "I don't think it would be any faster by the time it came out here, and the old man would kick up a fuss about it."

The _Nu'Ral_ picked up its speed slightly, but Ba'Kira knew that it wouldn't make any difference to G'Kona. Tre'a and Ta'Kyla went to sit with him, and by the time they had arrived at the base G'Kona seemed to be a little better as a result of the med-vaporizer. Ra'Mogh contacted the Base 37 Medical Team, which brought a hover-stretcher on board to transport G'Kona to the hospital. Tre'a, Ta'Kyla, and Kha'Mel accompanied him there, but Ba'Kira knew that Healer G'Ton would take good care of him and run the appropriate tests—there was really no need for her to go along. Instead, she collected Ra'Jann and Ogra and went with them to find Sha'Lok. Ra'Mogh stayed behind to look after the ship with the help of Wall'Ahb. The Pak'ma'ra had turned out to be a very useful crew member for Ra'Mogh, even though she needed to take breaks to eat more often than Narns did.

Ba'Kira felt confident leaving Wall'Ahb with her father and vice versa. They would take good care of each other.

"Let's go see if we can find your mother, Ra'Jann," she said to the little one.

Ba'Kira walked with the two children over to Sha'Lok's quarters. When she arrived there, she rang the buzzer, but no one answered. Ra'Jann used her security wrist bracelet to swipe open the door and run in.

"Na'Nokai Sha'Lok!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Sha'Lok ran into the main room, completely naked.

"Ra'Jann, shush!" she soothed her daughter, "Ba'Kira, I'm sorry—could you take the young ones out for a bit longer? Bra'Kat and I are involved in a mating."

Ba'Kira growled slightly in irritation.

"Very well," she grumbled, herding Ra'Jann and Ogra out of the room, "I thought you wanted Ra'Jann to come back."

Ba'Kira did not bother to listen to Sha'Lok's retort. She was getting tired of her sister's incessant " _Bra'Kat this, and Bra'Kat that_ " talk.

"Bra'Kat can kiss my ass," she thought angrily, as she stomped down the hallway with the children walking slightly behind her. Sha'Lok had not even said "hello" to Ogra, her own little sister! She had half a mind to take Ra'Jann back to _Babylon 5_ right now.

"Why are you so angry, Elder Sister Ba'Kira?" Ogra asked, her orange eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"I'm angry because Ra'Jann could easily have stayed on _Babylon 5._ Why did Sha'Lok have me bring her here if all she wanted to do was "deepen the soul connection" with Bra'Kat? _Now she'll probably get pregnant again and expect Kar Malka to do another pouching for her._ He can't spend his life playing pouch-holder for that irresponsible Rock-Hog that Sha'Lok married..."

Ba'Kira stopped her rant, realizing that she was complaining to a ten-year-old, and that young Ra'Jann was listening to her berate her parents. As Ogra and Ra'Jann stared at her with their big, innocent eyes, she immediately felt ashamed of herself.

"All right—all that stuff I just said? Forget it!" she told them, slowing her pace so that she could walk with them rather than dragging them along.

"Can we go to the cafeteria and get some fruit, Aunt Ba'Kira?" Ra'Jann asked.

"Yes, let's do that," Ba'Kira murmured, embarrassed by her recent behavior in front of the children.

They went to the "Civilian's Cafeteria" and sat down. Ba'Kira keyed in their order for assorted fruit, and it was brought over to them by a roboticized hover-tray. The children enjoyed being served by the "hover-tray". It even spoke to them in simple sentences.

"Hi, Tray!" Ra'Jann squealed, breaking into peals of laughter when the rectangular Robot-Tray replied, _"Hello—I am your wait-tray and I am here to serve you."_

"Bring us a pot of Blackrock Tea," Ba'Kira said, speaking into the robot's input center, "three mugs, please."

 _"Yes, my Honored Customer,"_ the Tray replied in a mechanically polite manner as it glided away to give the Kitchen staff the new order.

As they were waiting for the order to arrive, a familiar face appeared upon the scene.

"Healer G'Ton," Ba'Kira greeted the elder Narn as he approached their table, "how is the old man that we had brought in to _Med-Fa'ch_ faring?"

"I ran every test in the book," G'Ton told her, "and the only problem that I can find in him, other than low blood pressure, is simple bronchitis. I am giving him some medication for hypotension, a supply of Med-packs, and a vaporizer; but he still refuses to believe that he's not dying. I told him that he's a hypochondriac who will probably live to be one hundred and fifty. He looked at me as though he was ready to throw me across the room when I said that."

"You mean to say that he's disappointed not to be dying?"

"Yes," G'Ton told her, shaking his grey-spotted head, "He's put all his affairs in order, he's made custodial arrangements for his grandson, and he's even arranged for his body to be shipped back to Narn for burial. And now he's just found out that he won't be dying...at least, not from his current physical condition, and not any time soon."

"I guess I better go and comfort him," Ba'Kira said, taking the pot of tea from the Hover-Tray as Ogra and Ra'Jann wolfed down the fruit in front of them.

"Would you like to have a pot of tea with the children, G'Ton?" she asked him, "I would like to go and see G'Kona, if you will permit it."

"Yes, go ahead," G'Ton agreed good-naturedly, sitting down and pouring the girls a cup of tea, "and I will drink tea with my two favorite ladies!"

Ogra and Ra'Jann giggled, handing G'Ton a piece of left-over fruit. Ba'Kira left the pouchlings to enjoy their favorite Healer on _Ma'Krat Zahn_ while she strode quickly to " _Med-Fa'ch_ ".

When she arrived there, a nurse led her to G'Kona's cot. G'Kona was lying down with his hands on his chest while Tre'a, Ta'Kyla, and Kha'Mel sat with him.

"G'Kona," she said to him, "I'm sorry...I just heard the news from Healer G'Ton. I understand you won't be leaving us yet?"

"This cannot be," G'Kona grumbled, "I have known for years that I would die on a station such as this one, in the middle of space. I assumed it would be from this stupid respiratory illness which has plagued me for years, but maybe...perhaps someone will kill me, then..."

"Don't look at me, Old Man," Kha'Mel told him, "I'm not going through that whole stabbing business again, seeing as how I attacked the wrong man back on _Babylon 5._ Besides, Garibaldi took away my dagger."

"I have had dreams for years," G'Kona said wistfully, staring off into space as if no one else was there with him.

"You'd better _not_ stab G'Kona, Kha'Mel," Ta'Kyla warned her furiously, "or I'll claw you to bits..."

Tre'a put up her hand in such a manner that Ta'Kyla immediately silenced herself.

"There will be no conflicts between you," she signed to them, "do I make myself clear?"

The two teenage girls gestured their respect to Tre'a. It was obvious that there had been tensions between Ta'Kyla and Kha'Mel.

"Kha'Mel," Ba'Kira commanded her, "I want you to come with me. I believe Captain Ra'Mogh has some duties for you back at the ship."

Kha'Mel moved to accompany Ba'Kira out. She seemed relieved at the prospect of getting away from Ta'Kyla, who was still angry at her for having stabbed Ni'Kar.

"When will the meeting take place with the politicians, Tre'a?" Ba'Kira asked.

"Very shortly," Tre'a responded, "Councilor Ha'Tog, one of the politicians that we are going to be speaking with has told me that we will meet in the Family Conference Room next to the Pool Facilities. You can meet us there in about an hour."

"Great," Ba'Kira signed to her as she went out the door, "Maybe we can jump into the pool once we're finished nattering to the politicians."

Ba'Kira made her way back to the cafeteria to pick up the two children, who were having a marvelous time with Healer G'Ton and his "magic card tricks". She thanked the Healer for entertaining the pouchlings as he departed to check on his patients once more.

"Come on, Magicians!" she called to the kids, "We're going over to the ship for a while. You can join Grandfather Ra'Mogh, Ra'Jann, while I go to the meeting with Tre'a and Councilor Ha'Tog—along with his gang of assorted political animals."

"What kinds of animals are those, Aunt Ba'Kira?" Ra'Jann asked as she led them towards the Docking Bay where the _Nu'Ral_ was stationed.

"She means politicians, Ra'Jann," Kha'Mel explained.

As they were walking along the side of the Space-Dock, they suddenly heard a horrifyingly shrill screech pierce their ears, one which seemed to come out of nowhere and yet was being heard everywhere. It sent chills down Ba'Kira's spine, and her heart felt as though it had been pierced by a blade of ice. Ba'Kira covered the children instinctively, and brought Kha'Mel close to her. She thought she heard the sound of crunching metal. A siren began to wail loudly, and she realized that the Base might actually be undergoing an attack of some sort. She fervently hoped that Sha'Lok would be able to get to one of the Civilian Evacuation Transports.

The next turn of events happened extremely rapidly. Ra'Mogh yelled at them to run over to the ship while the crew brought the engines onto emergency stand-by mode. Wall'Ahb slid over to the children with amazing speed and grabbed Ra'Jann in one of her tentacles and Ogra in another before practically flying back on her multi-ped "legs". Ba'Kira and Kha'Mel sprinted as fast as their legs would carry them. Once they were inside the _Nu'Ral,_ Ra'Mogh gave the signal to close all doors.

"Emergency exit!" he yelled through an intercom before jumping up a ladder to get to the Command Deck, "Engines on full!"

Wall'Ahb dropped the kids nearby to them and swiftly followed Ra'Mogh to the main Deck. Ba'Kira did not question her father but left him to command the ship as he saw fit. Her main priority at this point was to ensure Ra'Jann and Ogra's safety. She gestured at Kha'Mel to strap them into the nearest safety restraints, and then they all sat down to prepare for the bumpiness of a rough exit. Rushing the engines to power a ship out of a Star Base Docking Bay was not a well-advised action to take under normal circumstances, but this was obviously not an ordinary situation.

As they made their way through the launch tunnel, they could hear the ominous sound of a blast of metallic materials. They could feel objects hitting their craft with sickening, screechy crunches, and the ship became uncomfortably hot. Ba'Kira felt as if a force of darkness was passing over the entire station, and then, suddenly...there was an eerie silence, a feeling of having broken free of the blast zone.

She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and she felt that she needed to know what was going on. She threw off her safety restraints and propelled herself towards the Command Deck ladder.

"Stay with the children, Kha'Mel!" she called back to the adolescent, as if Kha'Mel had any choice in the matter.

She climbed up to the Command Deck and inched her way towards her father's chair. In one of the rear view-screens, she saw a huge creature—or perhaps it was a ship—that looked something like a cross between a Narn Night-Spider and an ocean mollusk. It was shooting some form of red energy out of its "body" and then it suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from view.

"We've broken free of the wreckage," Ra'Mogh said, "Open a jump point as soon as possible."

The deck crew did as they were told while Ba'Kira looked into the rear view-screen in horror. Instead of seeing the huge Narn Star Base, she saw absolutely nothing in the area of space which it had previously occupied. There was no wreckage...there did not appear to be anything. It was as if the Base had suddenly been erased. She looked into her father's eyes questioningly.

"I know, Ba'Kira," he said, his expression one of devastation, " _Ma'Krat Zahn_ has disappeared."


	7. An Ancient Enemy

5

 _ **Chapter Seven: An Ancient Enemy**_

Ba'Kira sat as if frozen in time and space, holding Ra'Jann. Kha'Mel held Ogra, and they all swayed back and forth together. No one was certain what had just happened. Ba'Kira was no longer sure of what she had seen on the view-screen when she went up to the Command Deck. She could not forget the dark, spidery ship-thing that she had seen, and yet she did not know whether it had been a figment of her imagination or a real-life object. She remembered it as having a vague, silhouette-like appearance, and she remembered that it had made her shiver with cold, straight down into her soul.

She had no idea whether Sha'Lok had escaped on an Evacuation Transport or not. She knew that the Civilians were trained to go immediately to the Emergency Transport tubes, where they could either board a Transport ship or take an escape pod if the Transport ships were unable to launch. Sha'Lok, however, had been in the middle of a mating with Bra'Kat and might have paused to dress before she left, causing herself to be too late...or she may have decided to stay because Bra'Kat was obliged to stay on as one of the Commanders. Even so, she would have gone in search of Ra'Jann before she did anything, not knowing that Ra'Jann was escaping with them. Ba'Kira also forced herself to imagine the other, hopeful possibility...that she had made it to one of the escape pods and was out there searching for Ra'Jann. The escape pods were capable of traveling short distances, but they certainly would not be able to travel as far away as to the Narn home-world. They might be able to make it to _Babylon 5,_ but would Sha'Lok have the presence of mind to do that? She had begged her father to go back and search for her, but he had brusquely ordered her to go down and tend to the children. She knew that his heart was breaking inside, and so she had obeyed his command.

Ba'Kira had departed from the Command Deck reluctantly. She knew that they were traveling to _Babylon 5,_ because Ra'Mogh had told her that he had earlier received a call from Councilor Ni'Kar—just before the Base's destruction. Ni'Kar had apparently recovered sufficiently from his ordeal that he was ready to join his wife and his other two servants at the Narn Base. He had ordered his Captain to return to the Human space station to collect him and his young servant, Ru'Kyla, and bring them both back to _Ma'Krat Zahn_ for the negotiations. This was the reason why the _Nu'Ral_ had not been completely shut down and its crew had been obliged to return to the ship...and it was why they had all made it out alive.

Ba'Kira felt like screaming as she thought of the beautiful Tre'a, young Ta'Kyla, and old G'Kona. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that they had not made it out before the Base "disappeared". Ironically, G'Kona had been correct when he said that he would die on the space station...but it had not been in the way that he had imagined.

She thought also of her old friend Healer G'Ton. He would have been obliged by duty to stay on the Base with his patients until they could be transported out safely, and so it was deathly certain that he was no longer alive. She stared at the white wall of the ship as she thought of all the people who had been alive one moment...and then, in the blink of an eye, were gone. Thousands upon thousands of people...those she knew and those she did not. More than ten thousand...all gone, along with _Ma'Krat Zahn._

Finally, she forced herself to stop thinking about it. Kha'Mel had evidently arrived at the same conclusion, for she gestured in the direction of the Kitchen/Dining Hall. They brought the frightened children into the Hall and found, to their dismay, that many of the Kitchen staff had been injured in the escape. Ba'Kira immediately set to work, ordering Kha'Mel and the two pouchlings to help her bandage the patients as best they could with the available First Aid supplies, and then to set up cots for them to lie down upon. She was relieved to have something tangible that she could do to help, and she worked diligently until all of her patients were attended to and resting on their cots.

Kha'Mel had gone into the Kitchen to clean up the mess there. Pots, pans, spilled food, and broken dishes littered the floor. As the two pouchlings were helping the adolescent to clean, Ba'Kira began to prepare meals for the patients. They would all need to become the new Kitchen Staff on board the _Nu'Ral._

After the patients had been fed and watered, and the Kitchen/Dining Hall had been cleaned up as much as was possible given the damage incurred there, Ba'Kira sent Ogra and Kha'Mel to the Command Deck to bring the beleaguered crew some tea and snacks. She then held Ra'Jann's hand and sat her down at one of the broken tables. She could tell from the look in her niece's eyes that she was going to ask her a dreaded question.

"Aunt Ba'Kira," she said as her Aunt squatted down to hold both her hands, "Where is Na'Nokai Sha'Lok and R'Kai Bra'Kat?"

Ba'Kira drew in a deep breath. How could she tell Ra'Jann what had happened to her mother and father when she was not sure herself? She knew, however, that she owed it her niece to be honest with her about the probable fate of her parents.

"Ra'Jann," she stammered, "The Base was attacked by something...we're not sure what it was, but it destroyed _Ma'Krat Zahn_ and everyone on it. Your father, Bra'Kat, would have had to stay because it was his duty...it is certain that he is dead, my Ra'Jann. And...almost certainly...your Na'Nokai Sha'Lok is as well."

Ra'Jann stared at her Aunt, and her lip began to quiver.

"But...we made it out alive!" she screeched, "Why can't my parents have done so?"

Ba'Kira stared at her niece helplessly. She again wondered how she could explain this to the child when she could barely comprehend it herself.

"There were no survivors, Ra'Jann," the voice of Grandfather Ra'Mogh boomed, as the burly red-spotted Captain entered the Hall, "I have just been in contact with Home-World. They have sent out scout ships to comb the area, but everything— _and everyone_ that was on that Base was destroyed. We would have been also if we had not accelerated right up until jump gate entry. We caught a glimpse of one of the ships that attacked our Base, and I recognized it from a picture in our most revered Holy Book, The Book of G'Quan. They are the Ancient Enemy which once hid itself on Narn, killing all the _Mind-Walkers_ that ever lived on our world. After that, the Enemy is said to have gone to a ghost-world known as Z'ha'dum. It looks as though they may have returned—to finish what they had started long ago with the killing of our most gifted people."

Ba'Kira stared at her father in shock. _Mind-Walkers_ were Narn telepaths, which no longer existed in today's world because they had gone extinct in the ancient days of Narn. She remembered a picture from the Book of G'Quan which looked very similar to the thing that she had seen on the Command Deck's view-screen, before they had opened up a jump-gate point and had escaped from it. The name of the Ancient Enemy's supposed home-world, Z'ha'dum, was familiar to her because she had grown up hearing tales about it from the Elders on Narn. There was also a short section of writings at the back of some select copies of the Book of G'Quan which were written by the Prophet's wife, Ti'Quan. She had foretold the arrival of a group of Dark Creatures who would eventually destroy Narn by turning it into a desert. The Centauris had already done that with their one hundred year Occupation of the Narn home-world nearly sixty years ago, and most scholars believe that was what the Prophet's wife was referring to; but, although the Centauris had over-exploited and attacked the Narn home-world, they had not utterly destroyed it. Ba'Kira could not help but wonder if there might yet be more attacks upon the Narn people by this strange "Ancient Enemy"—attacks that would make the Centauris look like children playing in a sand-box by comparison.

Her thoughts about the Ancient Enemy were interrupted as Ra'Jann began to wail. She had just been given information which was difficult for an adult to process, let alone a small pouchling. Ba'Kira scooped the little girl up in her arms and rocked her gently as she cried from the very depths of her young soul.


	8. Shock and Grief

9

 _ **Chapter Eight: Shock and Grief**_

Ni'Kar was on the rampage. When they reached _Babylon 5_ , Ra'Mogh had accompanied Ba'Kira to the Arrivals/Departure area, where Ni'Kar and his young caregiver Ru'Kyla were waiting in the belief that they would be transported to _Ma'Krat Zahn._ Ra'Mogh had received a communiqué from Ni'Kar which made it clear that he had not heard the terrible news. They had not only needed to tell Ni'Kar that his wife was dead; but they also had to tell young Ru'Kyla that her sister, Ta'Kyla, was killed in the attack, along with their mutual friend G'Kona. It was not something that either of them had been looking forward to, but it was something that needed to be done nonetheless.

Ra'Mogh was a compassionate man, but like most Narns he was very blunt when delivering tragic news. There was no easy way to say it, and so he had simply told them in no uncertain terms what had occurred. After he had finished speaking, both Ni'Kar and Ru'Kyla had stared out into space for at least a couple of minutes before collapsing onto a couple of seats in the waiting area. Ba'Kira had put her arm around fifteen-year-old Ru'Kyla. She knew that the young girl would recover eventually, but she had an uneasy feeling about Ni'Kar. Unlike Bra'Kat and Sha'Lok, Tre'a and Ni'Kar had been extremely close. She had meant everything to him, and Ba'Kira was not sure how well he would cope without her. Since he had four small children waiting at home, he would need to pull himself together; but at that moment he was very far from thinking rationally on the matter.

Without warning, the huge white-spotted Narn had jumped up and began screaming at the ceiling. He grabbed one of the unoccupied chairs and tore it from its bolted position on the floor as if it were made out of cardboard. He then proceeded to throw it at the wall, nearly hitting a man in the process.

"Ni'Kar!" Ra'Mogh yelled angrily, jumping on the big Narn in an attempt to subdue him. He was tossed aside like a bean bag for his efforts.

Before long the security team was there, joining Ra'Mogh in his efforts to stop the Narn Councilor. Ni'Kar ran off down the corridor towards the commercial section, grabbing items from vendors' stalls and throwing them about randomly. He was roaring in grief and rage. Ba'Kira and Ru'Kyla followed the mad procession, shouting to the Security team to let them speak to Ni'Kar. No one seemed to be able to reach him psychologically; it was as if he had gone stark-raving mad.

Finally, the Security team cornered him in a small clothing store. The team evacuated everyone in the shop and then pointed their rifles at him, ready to fire.

"Ni'Kar!" an officer named Lou Welch called to him, "We don't want to shoot you, but we will if you don't stop _**right now!**_ "

Ni'Kar picked up a small mannequin and looked as though he were about to throw it. The team was about a second away from firing when Ru'Kyla called out something to him in the ancient Narn dialect from behind the squad. Ni'Kar paused for a moment, as if waking up to what he was doing. Slowly, he let the mannequin drop and then he followed it, falling over onto the floor. He backed up towards the end corner and drew himself up into a fetal position.

Welch motioned towards the rest of the team, and they moved in and cuffed both his hands and feet. Ba'Kira had thankfully brought along a tranquilizing serum in needle form, instinctively knowing that she might need it. She took it out of her medical pouch and informed one of the guards, who asked Mr. Welch whether she could use it. The Human Security Officer nodded at Ba'Kira, who administered the shot.

When Ni'Kar was out cold, Med Lab was contacted and a gurney was brought down to the shop. The Medics placed the white-spotted Narn on top of it and brought him down to the Babylon 5 holding cell near the Security Chief's office. Chief Garibaldi was apparently busy dealing with another situation, and so he had left Lou Welch to look after the general security concerns of the station.

"I'm sorry, Ra'Mogh," Welch told her father, "Ni'Kar is going to have to stay in a secure spot until we know it's safe to let him out again."

Ba'Kira quickly explained the situation to Welch, who noted the circumstances surrounding the rampage in his pocket computer. Ra'Mogh arranged to go and sit with Ni'Kar in his cell until he woke up, as he knew the big Narn better than anyone.

"Can you go to the Narn Ambassadorial Office and report to either Na'Toth or G'Kar what we know?" Ra'Mogh asked Ba'Kira, giving her Ni'Kar's clearance pass, "and take Ru'Kyla with you. She needs to be with someone calm right now."

Ba'Kira departed immediately to obey her father's command. She would have preferred to take Ru'Kyla back to the _Nu'Ral_ to stay with Kha'Mel, who was the same age as her and who would have been able to empathize well with the problems that she was experiencing. She knew, however, that it was not a good idea at present because Ru'Kyla, like her older sister Ta'Kyla, would probably blame Kha'Mel for having stabbed Ni'Kar earlier.

When they arrived at the Ambassadorial Wing, Ba'Kira presented the clearance pass and was directed down the hall to the Narn Ambassador's Office. She buzzed at the door and was permitted entry. She walked in hoping to find G'Kar, but to her disappointment, it was Na'Toth who greeted her. To her surprise, however, Na'Toth seemed pleased and relieved to see her.

"Ba'Kira!" she exclaimed, "I never thought I'd see you again when I heard about the destruction of our base! You must have left before it vanished."

"We barely got out in time," Ba'Kira explained, oddly touched that Na'Toth had cared enough to think of her while she was away, "my father and Wall'Ahb were preparing the ship for departure when we went to visit them—and then we heard some very strange sounds. Wall'Ahb grabbed the kids and brought Kha'Mel and I on board, while my father gunned the engines so hard we rushed straight out of the launch tunnel...we thought we had broken free of the wreckage, but the strange thing was that there appeared to be _no wreckage_. I saw a...weird dark ship on the view-screen for a couple of seconds, and then it disappeared, along with the entire Base. It was as if Ma'Krat Zahn and everyone on board it had vanished entirely."

"You were lucky to have escaped," Na'Toth told her, "we thought that there were no survivors, but I am glad to see that we were wrong."

"We were the sole survivors, then?"

"Yes," Na'Toth replied, "and the Base _was_ attacked...the reports to Home-World have verified that. The question is, _who_ could have done it? None of the other worlds have the power to launch a strike as powerful as that. Did you recognize this...dark ship...as belonging to any known species?"

"My father and I recognized it, but it was not from any of the other worlds. It was...it looked like the creature-ship that is pictured in _The Book of G'Quan._ I remember hearing tales of these spider-like creatures when I was a pouchling. They were supposed to have lived on a ghost-world named Z'ha'dum."

"Yes, I think G'Kar has odd ideas like that—ideas which are inspired by his religious beliefs. I for one prefer not to chase these ghosts from children's tales. I would like to see more tangible evidence. When we know who it is that has performed this monstrous act, we can retaliate in kind."

"But, Na'Toth," Ba'Kira protested as she felt the old anger at her ex-lover returning, "the creature that I saw seemed to be able to appear and disappear—they are not necessarily always visible to us...and my father seemed to think that they were not like the usual type of enemy. He believes, as I do, that they would make the Centauris seem like children playing in a sand-box."

"Centauris _are_ children playing in a sand-box," Na'Toth retorted, "Have you seen how the Centauri Ambassador, Londo Mollari, gambles?"

Ba'Kira's irritation was becoming palpable. Na'Toth was patronizing her again, making her feel like a silly child. She knew what she had seen! Maybe the Narn Ambassador would be more open to hearing about what she had seen with her own eyes.

"Where is Ambassador G'Kar?" Ba'Kira asked, "I would like to talk with _him_ about this, since you do not seem to be taking it seriously, Na'Toth."

"G'Kar has unfortunately left the station," Na'Toth told her, "he is going to investigate what happened at the Base in Quadrant 37. He also has a theory about what may have happened, but he would not elaborate on it. So, there you have it. I am in charge until he gets back."

"Oh," Ba'Kira said in a flat monotone, "well, I guess we better let you get to work then. Good-bye, Na'Toth. I'm going to find Kar Malka and Ja'Quel to tell them the bad news. Have the Human newscasts reported on the destruction of the Base yet?"

"No, not yet," Na'Toth replied, "people are just finding out about it. Ni'Kar does not know...I was going to tell him just now, but I imagine you already have."

"Ni'Kar went mad when he heard about it," Ba'Kira explained, "He nearly tore up the station in his anguish over his wife's death. He is in a _Babylon 5_ prison cell right now, and my father is staying with him."

"Yes, I'm glad it was you and your father telling him instead of me. Ni'Kar seems docile most of the time, but he can be volatile, like his brother G'Kar. Hopefully he won't start drinking again, or it will get worse."

Ba'Kira gestured to Ru'Kyla that it was time to leave. She could tell that the adolescent was not reacting well to Na'Toth's seeming indifference to Ni'Kar's plight. As they turned to exit, Na'Toth stopped her for a moment.

"Ba'Kira," she called to her, "I'm sorry for all you went through. I still care for you and your family, even if it seems as though I don't."

"Thank you, Na'Toth," Ba'Kira murmured, "We still care for you as well...even me."

The two women gestured their respect before parting ways.

"Na'Toth cares about your family," Ru'Kyla noted sadly as they walked down the corridor together, "But she doesn't care for mine. She didn't seem to care that the Master was hurting or that Mistress Tre'a, G'Kona, and my sister Ta'Kyla had died in the attack."

"She does care, Ru'Kyla—very deeply," Ba'Kira told her, "But she doesn't always show it...her idea of showing that she cares lies in retaliating against the enemy that did this thing."

"Was it the Centauris?" Ru'Kyla asked, obviously not having taken in everything that Ra'Mogh had told her about the "dark creatures".

"No," Ba'Kira told her, "the attack was perpetrated by powerful forces that we don't understand...forces that don't seem to like the Narn people any more than the Centauris do."

As they walked over to the Entry Gate of the Ambassadorial Wing they passed the Centauri Ambassador, Londo Mollari. Mollari knew her father Ra'Mogh because he had worked so closely with G'Kar's brother Ni'Kar, who often had dealings with the Centauri diplomat. Ba'Kira was somewhat wary of him simply because of the history between the Narns and the Centauris, although she held nothing against him personally.

"You are the daughter of Ra'Mogh, yes?" he said to her.

"Yes," she confirmed, "I am Ba'Kira. How do you do, Ambassador Mollari."

"Yes," he echoed her, "I can tell by your red spots and orange eyes that you are related to him. He and Ni'Kar are, I believe, friends of Mr. Garibaldi, are they not?"

When Ba'Kira gestured an affirmation, Mollari continued, "Then you may want to let them know that Mr. Garibaldi is in Med Lab right now fighting for his life. He has been shot."

Ba'Kira stared at him in shock.

"Th...thank you, Ambassador," she faltered, "I will of course tell my father. It is perhaps not wise to mention it to Ni'Kar at the moment, as he is grieving the sudden loss of his wife, Tre'a, and he is not taking it well."

It was now Mollari's turn to appear shocked.

"Wh...what do you mean, 'sudden loss', Ba'Kira?" he asked, "I saw Ni'Kar's lovely wife less than a week ago. She appeared very healthy to me..."

"Yes," Ba'Kira replied, "She was. But she was killed when our Base in Quadrant 37 was mysteriously attacked. Other than myself, my father and his crew—there were no survivors."

Mollari looked as though he had just been delivered the most shocking news in the entire Universe. His face turned even paler than it was normally.

"The Narn Base...what was Tre'a doing there?" he asked, his voice shaking, "She was not in the Narn Military! I have met Ni'Kar's wife many times—she was a mother, and a woman of peace!"

"Yes, Ambassador—that's why she was at the Base. She was meeting with some politicians to discuss the withdrawal of Narn Troops from the Mhrr'Unik Home-world. You knew that Ni'Kar was working on that, didn't you? And that he was stabbed by a young Narn girl? Tre'a had to go in his place because he had been injured. That's why he's so upset about it...and young Ru'Kyla here lost her sister Ta'Kyla at the Base as well."

Mollari made a swallowing motion with his mouth. He backed up, visibly shaken.

"I...I am so sorry for all your losses," he told them, "This is a terrible day...what an awful way to start the new year..."

He stumbled against the wall, and then departed hastily.

As they left the Ambassadorial Wing, Ba'Kira thought about their odd encounter with Mollari. Why would a Centauri be so upset about the loss of a Narn Military Base? Mollari was not known for his love of Narns. Even so, perhaps he had been won over by Tre'a's individual beauty and charm. He seemed to be genuinely disturbed over her demise.

"Londo Mollari has shown more compassion to me than Na'Toth did over the loss of our family members," Ru'Kyla said, "I find it very ironic that our enemy would be kinder than our friend."

"It is strange," Ba'Kira agreed, "But perhaps Mollari is far kinder than we imagined."


	9. The Survivors

4

 _ **Chapter Nine: The Survivors**_

A week had passed since the dreaded event. Ni'Kar had recovered as much as he was able and had gone back to Narn with Ru'Kyla to tell his young son and three tiny pouchlings that their mother was dead. He was planning on coming back to _Babylon 5_ some time in the near future to resolve the Mhrr'Unik dispute, but until then he was going to spend some desperately needed time with his surviving family members. Ra'Mogh had transported them all back to Home-World on the _Nu'Ral_ , and he was going to stay there for a while as well because he had business to which he needed to attend. He had left Ogra with Ba'Kira so that the little girl could offer her friendship to Ra'Jann at this terrible time in her young life.

To Ba'Kira's surprise, Ru'Kyla had let go of her anger enough to forgive Kha'Mel before she departed; and she had even invited the teenage girl to come with her, provided she did not engage in any further acts of violence. Kha'Mel had thought that she would have to go back to the _Babylon 5_ prison now that _Ma'Krat Zahn_ was no longer there to offer her refuge. Ru'Kyla had suggested that she come to Narn and work in Ni'Kar's home to make amends for what she had done to the big White-Spot. Now that his children were without a mother and Ta'Kyla was no longer there to help, there was a huge need for another female servant. Kha'Mel was flabbergasted when Ni'Kar said he was open to the idea. Evidently, he wanted to do what his wife would have done under the same circumstance—which was to take on the troubled girl and give her as much help as possible.

When they had all discussed it with Ra'Mogh, however, he had convinced them that the wounds were still too fresh between Kha'Mel and Ru'Kyla, and Ni'Kar was not in any state of mind to be taking a troubled young girl into his grieving household. The red-spotted captain asked Kha'Mel to join the crew of the _Nu'Ral_ instead. He and his crew were willing to train and mentor her.

After considering her two offers, Kha'Mel had finally agreed to Captain Ra'Mogh's plan. Ra'Mogh had also offered to look out for Kha'Mel while the crew took their well-deserved stop-over on Narn. Ba'Kira had agreed with her father that the adolescent would be better off serving on board the _Nu'Ral_ , and so she gave Ni'Kar the names of some very qualified Nannies on Narn to make sure that he would not be left without help.

After they had all departed, however, she felt depressed. Wall'Ahb stayed with her, realizing that she missed Sha'Lok and the others who had been killed. She had always appreciated Wall'Ahb, but now she was coming to love her like a sister. Kar Malka and Ja'Quel also considered the dutiful Pak'ma'ra as their family member, particularly after the tragedy that had befallen Sha'Lok and Bra'Kat.

Kar Malka had been deeply upset about what had occurred; and he had vowed to raise his cousin, the little pouchling Ko'Rab, as his own son. To Ba'Kira's considerable dismay, he and Ja'Quel had also decided that they were going to marry. Ba'Kira thought that they were too young for such a commitment, but marriages on Narn tended to be based upon practical need...and Kar Malka would certainly require help raising the infant! Ba'Kira and Ra'Mogh, of course, would be heavily involved in the upbringing of Ko'Rab just as they would be in Ra'Jann's upbringing. They were, after all, one big brood.

Ba'Kira had made the commitment to be Ra'Jann's primary parent now that Sha'Lok was gone. She knew that she owed that to her niece and to her sister's memory. She also loved Ra'Jann very much and felt honored to take on the sacred role of being her brood-mother. Ra'Jann had been very quiet over the past week, but she seemed to appreciate Ba'Kira's maternal presence.

The beleaguered Nurse-medic had been so focused on helping her family through the crisis that she had not had much time to think about her business. She still had the _Ti'Quan_ and its crew, for they had all stayed behind on _Babylon 5_ when Ba'Kira went to _Ma'Krat Zahn_ aboard the _Nu'Ral._ She realized that if she wanted to continue her business she had no choice but to run it out of _Babylon 5_ , for there was no other station or base which would be suitable now that the one in Quadrant 37 was gone. She was not yet ready to bring Ra'Jann along on one of her runs, and so she thought that she would probably ask Chief Engineer Na'Kola to Captain the ship and Assistant Chief Medic Ra'Jaq to lead the medical missions to the Narn colonies. She would then be free to explore the opportunities for more business here on the station.

Na'Toth was very helpful in showing her how to apply to the Humans for a business license. Thankfully, Dr. Franklin was willing to continue with her services, although he was far too busy to meet with her because of Chief Garibaldi's serious condition. Everyone knew that he had been mysteriously shot by someone, but the Humans did not know the identity of the assailant at this point.

Ba'Kira knew that she was going to have to leave the investigation of Garibaldi's shocking assault to the Human Security Team, just as she was going to have to leave the investigation of the mysterious attack on _Ma'Krat Zahn_ to Ambassador G'Kar and the other members of the Narn Military. She hated to do so, but there was little else she could do when Na'Toth kept insisting that her story about the "dark creatures" was simply a childish fantasy. She had stopped discussing it with Na'Toth, but she intended to keep her eyes and ears open in case she learned something that might help in the Ambassador's investigation. Since G'Kar was no longer on the station, however, she had concluded that the best thing to do if she did learn anything more about the "creatures" that had attacked the Narn Base was to tell the Human officers. Perhaps they would be more open to hearing about it than Na'Toth was.

In the mean time, Ba'Kira busied herself in trying to find a semi-permanent home for herself and her family on the station. She finally found suitable "family quarters", although the rent was expensive. She would need to build her base of customers here fairly quickly if she was to afford the living space. She decided to take a leap of faith and pay for the living quarters, as her family needed somewhere decent to live while they were becoming established here.

During the family's first supper in their recently acquired home-space, Ba'Kira helped young Ra'Jann to light a candle in order to honor the names of Sha'Lok, Bra'Kat, and all those who had died on _Ma'Krat Zahn._ It would not be easy, but somehow Ba'Kira was determined to create a new life for her surviving family members here on _Babylon 5._


End file.
